Bodyguard in the Streets, Assassin in the Sheets
by TheWhiteWolf 2486
Summary: AU where Corvo wasn't a gift to the Kaldwins, but instead was sent to ensure either the Duke of Serkonos rise to power or the demise of young lady Jessamine Kaldwin. However, sometimes even the most battle hardened assassins can change their ways, especially when there's a young beautiful princess involved. Rated M for smut in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, there reader! Quick note, the first twenty or so chapters won't have any smut. I know, I'm sorry! This story focuses a lot on character and relationship development [aren't we all curious how Emily came into the world ;) ] so I welcome you to this little AU I thought up where Corvo was an assassin, who changed his ways when he fell for a certain Empress who made him Royal Protector. And well, we know all too well what happens when she's torn away from him again. I always felt that Corvo was a bit too good at the whole assassin thing to never of had any prior experience before; so put aside the developers telling you he was a gift from the Duke to the Kaldwins and welcome to my little AU wonderland. EDIT: This chapter has now been Beta'd. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Change is Inevitable

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"Ephraim please don't leave, I need you," I pleaded with my long revered friend and bodyguard once more. It had been three days since he'd given notice to both my father and I, that he felt he was too old to properly protect me anymore. My father and his Royal Protector agreed with him, however; he had been there for me since I could remember and I couldn't bring myself to agree with him. I wanted him to stay by my side. He had taken care of me ever since my mother had died, raising and protecting me; he was more my father than the man who I shared blood with. Perhaps that seemed harsh to others, but my father had always been distant ever since my mother died. Nowadays he only ever talked to me when I wasn't the person he wanted me to be, and it seemed to me like I would never live up to his expectations. Ephraim didn't hold ridiculously high standards over my head, and I appreciated it more than words would ever be able to express.

"Jessamine, I'm doing this for your own good. I'm an old man now, I can't protect you the way a younger man can. I'm not leaving, I just won't be by your side all the time," His raspy voice came through the wall just before a fit of violent coughing. Ephraim came through the door that separated our chambers; his body slouched from the weight of the armor, his wrinkled face and silver hair freshly cleaned. "I'm leaving you in good hands. Your father agreed to see my nephew and if he is deemed fit, he will fill my spot," He continued as he pulled a small red vial from his pocket and swallowed it quickly before going on. "And if you miss me that much you can come visit. Your father granted me quite a nice room in the tower to live the rest of my days in. We'll practically be neighbors."

I knew I wasn't going to get my way, Ephraim was done fighting. His body was withering away, and only the tonic's that the Academy had produced were keeping him healthy enough to wield a sword. Deep down I knew he was right, he couldn't keep doing this work; it was going to kill him, or possibly both of us.

"Fine," I huffed. "I'll take a new bodyguard, but I'm not happy about it," I pouted as I crossed my arms and glared at the ground. I knew I had to accept what was happening, but that damn well didn't mean that I was truly alright with it. I trusted Ephraim, he had been my rock throughout my whole childhood. The bond I had with him I doubted I would ever have with another bodyguard, the faith I had in him had been built up over nearly a decade.

"You don't have to be. Now come on, it's time to meet your father for breakfast," Ephraim stated as he tossed a small stack of my clothes at me. I walked off to change out of my night robe, dreading that tomorrow I would no longer have my most trusted friend by my side anymore.

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THE NEXT DAY

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I sat at the table with my father and his Royal Protector, Hugh; waiting for Ephraim to bring in his nephew to join us for lunch. While father and Hugh discussed the political atmosphere of the parliament this year I glared down at a bunch of grapes on the table, I didn't want a new bodyguard. I knew my father noticed the foul mood I was in, and he undoubtedly also knew why I was in my mood, but he didn't care. Part of me loathed that my father didn't bother to speak with me at all, the other part was glad I hadn't found a spot in his attentions; I was certain that all he would have done was scold me for acting so childish. By the void, how dare a neglected teenager act the way you'd expect one to. Part of me wondered if he was purposely ignoring me as some way of punishing my current attitude, but before I could think too much into it the doors to the dining hall suddenly swung open.

I glanced over to see Ephraim walking in, behind him was who I could only assume was his nephew; a much younger man, and judging from the red imperial peacoat most likely an Officer in the Watch. He was just a few inches taller than average, and he seemed to be slimmer than average, or maybe that was because his coat was slightly too large for him. His eyes were dark and his hair was much longer than what all the other officers seemed to keep theirs at, not that it didn't suit him; I was broken out of my assessment as Ephraim's voice broke the silence.

"Emperor Kaldwin, I introduce to you, my nephew. An Officer of the City Watch, Lord Corvo Attano," Ephraim said to my father with a bow, before his nephew stepped forward a few more paces before bowing like his uncle.

"Your majesty," His gravely voice echoed slightly in the large dining hall.

"Stand up, both of you. Take a seat," My father ordered, and they both rose and sat down at the table across from me. I couldn't help but inspect Lord Attano once again as he sat directly across from me; he certainly didn't look like any officer's that I'd met before, he seemed so young and his features were surprisingly unscarred. He was darker than almost everyone in Dunwall, not so much as to really stand out to others though, just enough to seem almost exotic. I had just noted that his dark eyes were a chocolate or russet brown when he glanced over at me, I swallowed somewhat nervously as I realized that it must have seemed like I was staring; I mean in all honesty I was staring, there was something about this man that I found strangely alluring. He held my gaze until my father spoke up, instantly getting his full attention.

"Lord Attano, your uncle here has told me quite a bit about you. He believes that you're fit to watch over my daughter Jessamine; he's worked for me faithfully for many years and I truly trust his judgment. However, I do still have a few questions for you," My father began as he poured himself another measure of wine. Wow dad, already on your third glass and it's only noon, way to be a functioning alcoholic.

I only half paid attention as they both talked and I picked at the food on my plate. Apparently, Lord Attano was born in Karnaca where Ephraim's brother married his mother. His father died when he was very young, so he was sent to live with Ephraim's estranged sister who raised him as a commoner; the City Guard accepted him after he saved a family from a house fire. He showed great potential in his training so he was sent to Officer School, where he graduated top of his class. He never had a squad as he always worked better on his own; instead, he served as an informant to the Empire, gathering intel about the political atmosphere in the other countries and reporting it back to his superiors. He stated that he had never been caught while gathering this intel, and he had not been in a fight in a while, but he would be willing to re-hone his skills daily with a sparring partner. And then, of course, my father had to embarrass me like only he could.

"My daughter has a tendency to purposely disobey every order I give her; hopefully, it's just a phase that will fade soon, I'd like to be able to say I raised a woman, not a heathen," He paused to sip on his wine. I looked up from my food rather stiffly to glare at my father, then at Lord Attano; who was watching my reaction with almost clinical scrutiny. "Anyways, if she tries to leave the tower without my permission I will need you to stop her. Are you capable of that?". Lord Attano smirked at me as I stared him down challengingly, he looked away to speak to my father once again and I felt the anger swelling inside me. I could not believe my father's audacity.

"Of course your majesty, your wishes will come first in all matters regarding your daughter," Lord Attano's response seemed to please my father, who finished the last of his wine in a single swig.

"Well then Lord Attano. I do believe that you will make a fine bodyguard, and I'd like to give you your uncle's position here at the tower. If you accept we can go over all the job specifics tonight over dinner," My father made his offer as I stood up and began to walk away; partially from the rage just beneath the surface over the rudeness of my father and Lord Attano's blatant cockiness, and also partially because I was tired of listening to my life being controlled for me. I was tired of being a powerless pawn in my own life.

The last thing I heard as the doors closed behind me was Lord Attano's voice, "I do accept your most polite offer."


	2. Chapter 2

EDIT: This chapter has now been beta'd.

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Chapter 2: Keep your Friends Close And Your Enemies Closer

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"When do I get my share?" The old haggard man asked as we walked through the narrow maid's staircase in the tower.

"I'll give it to you tonight. Meet me in the west wing kitchen at two in the morning," I replied, keeping my voice low to ensure that nobody would overhear our very private conversation.

"It better all be there. I wouldn't of tricked the Emperor for anything less," He grumbled grudgingly, more to himself than me. Who was I to care though, I wasn't the one betraying the family who had kept me employed for the vast majority of my life. I had to admit that this man seemed much colder than most people I met in my line of business; he had just handed off the girl that he had probably watched grow up for years to a fate that nobody deserved, and for a few coins. Then again I wasn't in a position to be judging other people's moral choices, I spilled blood for money, and I spilled it by the bucketful. The old man swung open one of the doors on his side, "And this is the second-floor maid's chambers.". He continued giving me the tour of the tower, despite that in the month leading up to me taking this assignment I had memorized the tower maps that the Duke had given me.

"Perhaps we can cut through the pleasantries, I only need you to show me to my new quarters. I know the tower quite well," I whispered into the old man's ear. He seemed annoyed but he didn't complain as we climbed the steps up and up and he led me to the girl's chamber.

"And here we are, this is Lady Jessamine's room. Your quarters are connected to this chamber," The old man stated, more for the benefit of holding up appearances that to inform me. I immediately noticed that the girl was curled up in the large bed with a book; she looked up when we walked in, she smiled at the old man but glowered at me. No matter, she didn't need to like me. I was, in fact, the enemy.

"Jessamine, could you please handle any of my nephew's questions from here? I'm quite tired from all of the activity today, and I'd like very much to retire to my chambers," He asked the girl as she crawled out of the bed, and hugged the old man.

"Of course. Go rest. I'll miss you, Ephraim," She replied as she pulled away and ended the sentence with a kiss on the old man's cheek.

"Thank you. And I'm still here when you need me, don't forget that," He reminded her as he tapped the tip of her nose once.

"I won't forget," She answered as she released his hands and he stepped away. He walked out of her chambers, closing the double doors behind him, leaving us alone together. I desperately wished that this was the typical get in, assassinate, and get out; but unfortunately, there was no such luck. I scolded myself internally for agreeing to take this job, I was a damn assassin, not a babysitter. However, with the payment I had been guaranteed I would have been an idiot to let this opportunity slip away. Now that the old man was gone the girl just stood there glowering at me with her arms crossed. I decided to break the silence rather than just stand there staring at the sullen girl glaring at me.

"You left lunch quite rushed," I stated. It had not eluded me the way she acted like a petulant child throughout the ordeal.

"I felt ill, I went to lay down." Her answer was clipped. I didn't realize I'd be putting up with an overly moody teenager, I should be charging more for my services. I wasn't getting paid enough to put up with this shit. I wished I could just kill her now and get it over with, I'd killed plenty of other people for much less than being short with me.

"My sincerest apologies. I'll leave you be for a bit while I get myself situated in my quarters," I replied dully, keeping my frustration under a calm mask as I started to walk towards the large wood paneled door that I knew led to the small living space. My new chambers consisted of a sink and mirror, a tub, a bed, and desk and dresser. Laid out on the bed were the new clothes I was to change into; very similar to the stolen officers uniform I was currently wearing, only much less colorful.

I didn't bring much in the way of belongings, a letter from the Duke, my sword and pistol, and a rune that my mother gave to me when I was younger. I stashed my rune in one of the empty dresser drawers before opening the letter from the Duke.

 _Corvo, from here I leave the mission in your hands. Remember all you have to do is ensure the Empress to be retains her virtue until you deliver her to me in the coming months. If you successfully accomplish this mission our agreement will be made good. Remember, I'm going to make you the second richest man in Karnaca, right under me of course._

I folded the letter and hid it behind a portrait in my chamber, tonight when I went to give the old man his share I would burn it. No one would know who, or what I was until it was too late and I was the only guard in a days distance of the girl.

I focused on changing into the new uniform I would wear for the next few months, while I wondered how hard it could be to keep the girl in my sight at all times. She didn't seem to pose much of an obstacle, other than that she acted like a child and seemed to hate me for no reason; well, she actually had a very legitimate reason to hate me, I was the man who was going to end her life, but she didn't know that. They never found out until it was already much too late. I could probably change her distaste towards me before we departed for Serkonos, so long as I attempted to make small talk and take interest in her day to day routines. Women were simple like that, a compliment here and there, some light flirting, and I would probably be in her good graces within the week. Now if I only knew for a fact that I would be able to restrain myself from killing her on the spot when she started to give me shit, but I wasn't about to start asking the universe for miracles now.

I was deep in thought when the door to my chamber suddenly opened while I was working the undershirt over my arms, I looked up the see a shocked young empress staring quite openly at my bare chest, even as I pulled the shirt the rest of the way down over my abdomen. I waited a few moments for her to say or do anything but no, instead she just stood there like a statue.

"Like what you see?" I asked a bit more gruffly than I intended. Dammit, if I wanted to gain her favor I shouldn't have even said that...how stupid of me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" She stammered, as she stared at the ground her face turning red; quite clearly embarrassed.

"It's alright, it doesn't matter. Can I help you?" I questioned, forcing myself to change my tone so I didn't sound so impatient and fed up. Dammit, I was itching to kill something, it had been too long. What was it now? Two weeks without spilling blood? I was overdue for another death.

"I um—I just wanted to…talk, about stuff," She faltered, still staring down at the floor as I pulled on the heavy black and white wool coat that had been waiting for me on the bed.

"Yes…" I trailed off as I buttoned up the coat and waited for her to speak. Why did women always need to be pressured into saying the things they already wanted to say?

"I'm sorry for how I've been acting. Ephraim would be disappointed in me, I'm just sad that I'm losing my best friend. I know it's silly because he's still here it's just, he's so old and he won't be around for much longer and I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it; and I'm taking it out on you and I'm sorry," She confessed as I tightened my pistol and sword belt around my coat. I didn't realize this would be so easy. She wanted us to get along with each other, she just didn't know how to control her emotions. A typical woman. But at least she was making this much easier than I had been expecting, now I just had to play along.

"It's alright. I understand, loss is a hard thing to cope with. Your actions were warranted," I replied while I holstered my pistol and my sword. I hardly even paid attention to the words that rolled off my tongue, all that mattered was that it was that older than my time, philosophical bullshit that always worked on women.

"Thank you. Anyways I'd like to restart if we can," She stated as she stepped closer before continuing. "I'm Jessamine Kaldwin, and I'm pleased to meet you," She finished as she held out her hand.

It took me a moment to realize what she was doing, and although I found it senseless I went along with it anyways. Play the part until you don't have to anymore; act like the hero even though you're secretly the villain, blah, blah, blah.

"Corvo Attano. The pleasure is all mine," I responded as I leaned down to brush a kiss across the back of her hand. I didn't expect her to shiver, and I couldn't help but smirk at the reaction. I had no doubt that it was partially because of her innocence, but I'd also always had a certain degree of ease getting what I wanted out of women. They all preferred the dangerous ones even if they wouldn't readily admit it, good guys always came in last against men like me. The young empress seemed more flustered with the heavy silence between us than her response over the very chaste kiss, she broke the silence after avoiding my gaze nervously for a few moments.

"Can I ask you a few things about Serkonos and the places you've been? I'm very curious," She questioned as she walked back over to her bed and sat down on the edge. I wasn't in the mood to entertain questions, but I had to gain her trust somehow, so I forced myself to go along with it.

"For you Lady Kaldwin, I am an open book," I replied as I picked up the leather chair at the desk and carried it over to the wall at the foot of her bed. I didn't doubt that she would feel much more comfortable with me in my own seat instead of sitting next to her on her bed. Besides, this would be a good spot to keep an eye on her from without looking conspicuous.

"There's no need for any fancy titles here Lord Attano, please just call me Jessamine," She requested as she turned to face me better as I sat down. The statement was actually quite shocking for me, every high-born I'd ever had the displeasure of meeting clung to their title's as though they were the only thing keeping them alive. I had never once encountered someone who was willing to abandon their title even in a comfortable conversation, and the person who was giving up the use of their title was all the more shocking.

"If that's the case, then I'd prefer the same treatment. Call me Corvo," I smiled. An actual genuine smile, the first one in...well, in longer than I could remember. No noble born person had ever treated me like this before and I quite liked it. Maybe they weren't all such stuck up assholes after all.

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FIVE HOURS LATER

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"Lord Attano, his majesty sent me. He was concerned because you are a bit late for dinner. He requests your presence immediately," The city watch officer barked as he pushed open the doors to Jessamine's chambers, before staring at the both of us with scrutiny. Although I couldn't blame him; we had been talking for quite a few hours and we had both ended up sitting on the floor a few feet away from each other. Undoubtedly a bit too friendly looking to someone else. I had to admit that I didn't hate the girl like I thought I did initially. In fact, I was actually a bit...fond, of her. I shook myself from that dangerous thought as I stood up, and forced myself to ignore the entirely foreign slight stabs of pain in my torso from laughing so much. I rarely laughed, and I very rarely opened up at all to others; yet in a matter of a few hours the girl had me telling her all about the other lands, and some of my heavily edited adventures over there.

"My deepest apologies, I shall go at once," I told the guard as I made my way out of the room. As I was leaving I heard Jessamine request the guard have someone bring her food to her as she still felt 'ill'. I knew she wasn't, there must be some reason she was avoiding her father; perhaps after a few more days I'd understand the clear discord between the two. Something must have happened to cause that rift between a parent and child, not that I would know...I never had parents. I had hardly realized how long I had been speaking with the girl. I had told her about Serkonos and Karnaca; the culture, the landscape, the people. About the other cities in Serkonos; Bastillian, Cullero, and Saggunto. And she still wanted me to tell her of Tyvia and Morely, as well as the other cities in Gristol that she had never seen. And as I was getting to know her better she was turning out to be more than just a petulant child or a pretty face, she had many big plans for the empire. Plans that her father disagreed with because they went against the cultural norms, but plans that would make life better for more than just the noblemen for once.

My thoughts were cut short when I walked into the dining hall to find only the Emperor with his Royal Protector.

"Attano. You're late," The Emperor's voice broke the silence as the double doors drifted shut behind me.

"My deepest apologies your majesty. Your daughter had many questions about the other isles and I'm afraid I lost track of time," I explained as I walked over to the empty chair that was set with dining ware.

"It's alright. Just don't be late again," He warned as I sat down, "However, it's time we go over your new responsibilities. Prepare to sit for a while," The Emperor finished as I settled into the large plush chair.

"I'm always prepared for anything."

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FOUR HOURS LATER

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The Emperor and I had spoken with each other for quite a while, it was already one in the morning. The Emperor had even gotten drunk and ranted about many things that were quite honestly, none of my business. However, I might be able to sell that information to the Duke when I was back in Serkonos, along with delivering Jessamine. When I walked into her chambers she was fast asleep in her bed, I quietly prowled to my chambers and retrieved the Duke's note from behind the picture. I tucked it in my coat pocket before sitting in the chair that was still at the foot of the young Empress's bed.

Part of me did genuinely like Jessamine, and in a way, it felt wrong to think that in the future I would betray her. Perhaps being an assassin was only easy because I never got the chance to know my targets before I killed them; how many others would I have enjoyed the company of if I had gotten to know them before slicing their throats. However likable she was though, she had a horrible judgment of character; her friend the old man had betrayed her for a few thousand coins. And here she was beginning to let me into her friendship circle, and I was here only to keep her safe until she got to Karnaca...as soon as that happened I was to act as though nothing was happening until the Duke had done with her what he pleased. If things didn't go exactly as planned I would have to kill her, but I didn't want to think about that at the moment. Perhaps if things weren't so messy we could become friends and colleagues. Who knew, perhaps I would have even pursued a relationship with her eventually; she was beautiful, funny, witty and she would have made a great ruler in the future. However, that's not the way this story was going to play out for me. I was to be her demise, not her future.

Two was drawing close, I quietly snuck out of Jessamine's room and made my way down to the west wing kitchen. I walked in on the old man waiting impatiently for me, "I thought you weren't going to come," He growled at me as I opened one of the stove pits that still had some smoldering embers. I ignored him and pulled the note from my coat and poked it into the embers until it caught flame, I let it fall into the pit and watched it turn to a small pile of white ash.

"What's that all about?" the old man asked from right behind me.

"None of your business, your job is done. Here's your share," I replied as I pulled the bank note from my pocket. He grabbed it as soon as he saw it.

"Good," he grunted as he inspected it for authenticity. "I'll be on my way then," were the last words he said as he stomped out of the kitchen. As I was making my way back to Jessamine's chambers I couldn't stop my conscious from nagging me, but I forced myself to ignore it; I was honestly surprised I still had one, it had been silent for so many years I figured it just disappeared. Unfortunately for me, that didn't seem to be the case anymore, as it was making an unwanted and very unprofessional return...there was no way this was going to be good for business. You had to be unfeeling, uncaring, and heartless to last very long in my field, and I wasn't about to let some feeling of wrong stop me from making more gold. Jessamine was a good person, and it was a shame what the Duke and I had in store for her. But at the end of the day, she was only just another job to me, nothing more.


	3. Chapter 3

EDIT: This chapter has now been beta'd.

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Chapter 3: And Then The Streets Ran Red

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TWO WEEKS LATER

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I sat with Esma Boyle under the canopy, watching Corvo as he waited to start the first sparring lesson my father had set up to hone his skills. My father and his Royal Protector were waiting under a separate canopy a decent distance away, watching Corvo swing his sword as he limbered up for his lesson. "He's quite fetching," Esma whispered in my ear as Corvo threw his sword in the air and caught it again with more ease than he should have been able to.

"Esma!" I gasped, only slightly shocked by her admission as I lightly smacked her arm. Esma had always been the provocative one of my friends, constantly flirting with men, and more often than not sleeping with them as well.

"What it's true." She protested. "I can tell you think so too, you can't keep your eyes off him. Don't try to deny it." She continued and I frowned slightly at her words, they were truer than she probably imagined. So maybe I did have a small crush on the extremely well built, slightly mysterious bodyguard, but that didn't mean that I would ever actually act on my feelings. I was much too scared of rejection to actually make a move, but just because I was too much of a coward to make my feelings known didn't mean I refused to even think of the possibilities; I often let myself daydream about long brown hair tickling my face, large and slightly calloused hands tracing the curves of my body, deep and raspy half chuckles, well-defined muscles with a thin sheen of sweat gleaming in low candlelight. Yeah, I had it pretty bad.

"It doesn't matter, we're just friends. Besides, he's quite impartial to me. He's just doing his job keeping me safe," I replied grudgingly, partially sore over her poking fun, and partially sore because I knew my day fantasies would never be more than just that, fantasies. Before Esma could respond an Officer of the City Watch walked up to Corvo in the ring, and the lesson officially began.

"You must be Lord Attano. My name is Malaki Hampshine, I'll be keeping your skills up to par," The Officer introduced himself.

"Thank you for your time sir. I've been waiting for you for a bit, so whenever you're ready we can begin," Corvo replied as he took off his heavy black and white coat and tossed it on the steps nearby. In his tight undershirt I could easily see his muscles working, and Esma was right he was extremely fetching. Without further pleasantries Malaki pulled out his sword and without warning lunged for Corvo; I gasped for fear that Corvo would get hurt, he wasn't at all prepared for the attack. But instead, Corvo easily rolled out of the way and behind Malaki; stood behind him, grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him backwards, poking the tip of his sword into the Officers back. "I believe you would have just died, sir," Corvo stated in Malaki's ear just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Malaki seemed frustrated but righted himself and turned to face Corvo again, this time Corvo made the first move and Malaki blocked just in time. I looked over at Esma who was watching with rapt attention. She noticed me watching and whispered in my ear, "You're incredibly lucky. I would kill to have a man like him follow me around all the time. If I was you I would be sleeping with him already.". Before I could reply with how inappropriate that would be she turned her attention back to the fight. Malaki was just barely blocking Corvo's blows early enough, and losing ground with every step until he had been pushed out of the circle, he tripped falling down on the ground. Corvo held his sword to Malaki's throat before stepping away and helping him to his feet.

Malaki holstered his sword and walked over to my father, "Your majesty. I do believe that Corvo's skill heavily outweighs my own and that he needs a much more advanced partner. I apologize for my deficiency," He said with a bow.

"It's alright, you may return to your post," My father replied, and Malaki left after bidding Corvo a brief farewell.

"He is very impressive…" I admitted to Esma. I had never seen Corvo work with a sword before, and it was both intimidating and a tad bit alluring. Before she could reply Hugh stood up and walked down into the circle; Hugh was the best fighter I had ever seen, he was extremely strong and also very intelligent. Corvo would either be bested, or he would be at the same level of swordsmanship. I had no doubt that Hugh was stronger, Corvo was faster but Hugh had years of experience and would be able to sense his moves before he made them. This was going to be a hard fight.

Hugh pulled out his sword and waited patiently for Corvo to move, Corvo stood there for a few more moments, almost as though he sizing Hugh up and then he moved. Hugh blocked his blow easily and countered with fast and brutal parry's that Corvo was barely able to dodge and deflect. I was worried and on the edge of my seat; Hugh wasn't playing around, and if Corvo got hit he would be severely hurt. Hugh continued pushing him back and tiring him out, until finally he knocked Corvo's sword out of his hand and kicked him in the chest sending him barreling into the ground. Corvo looked stunned for a moment, and he ducked and rolled out of the way of Hugh's blade just soon enough to avoid it once more. I looked over at my father who was watching only somewhat concernedly, and I couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't stopping this madness before someone got hurt, it was already obvious that Hugh was the winner. If they kept going Corvo was going to get hurt, possibly beyond the point of fixing.

"They need to stop," I whispered under my breath as I stood up, I couldn't stand to watch my bodyguard almost getting sliced to shreds every other second. Esma tried to stop me, tried to push me back down into my seat, but I shrugged her off easily; if my father refused to stop this then I would. Hugh swung again, just narrowly missing Corvo who managed to get back to his feet. I started to run forward as fast as I could, hoping I could stop this madness before someone got hurt, but as I came closer to the two I realized I was going to be too late. Corvo was busy locating his blade, and not looking at Hugh who was winding up for another blow. "Stop!" I yelled as Hugh's blade began to descend at an alarming rate. I threw myself between the two of them in a last ditch effort to stop anyone from being hurt, it would be my father's fault if I got hurt stopping this; he could have stopped it before it came to this but he chose not to, if I got hurt it would be on him and no one else. Hugh was trying to stop his sword, but he already had so much momentum behind it that it was too late to pull back. I stood there, gazing up at the blade that was surely going to hit me in the next few moments, when suddenly I was pushed back out of the way and I fell onto the hard ground clumsily.

I heard a painful grunt and looked behind me to see Corvo grabbing Hugh by the lapels of his coat as he twisted Hugh's forearm, forcing him to drop his blade; as soon as it began to fall Corvo released his grip on Hugh's arm, and grabbed the falling sword in mid-air. Corvo threw Hugh onto the ground, using the momentum Hugh's body had to his advantage. Hugh fell on his back with a loud thud, and Corvo stabbed the sword deep into the gravel a few inches from Hugh's head. He bent down and pulled Hugh by the lapel of his jacket until his torso was a few inches off the ground. "If you touch her," Corvo began his voice a low growl, "I will kill you." He finished, emphasizing each word as he dropped Hugh, letting him fall back down onto the ground. I looked around, quickly trying to take in the rest of my surroundings now that the fight was over; my father was standing up from his seat looking quite distressed, Esma was standing at the corner of the ring her hands over her mouth, and two guards were standing a few meters away with their hands on their pistols but unsure of what to do. I didn't notice that Corvo was making his way over to me until he was picking me up off the ground, helping me onto my feet. He quickly inspected my scuffed arms and glowered at my scraped and slightly bleeding hands, before he could say anything about them though someone else was already breaking the delicate silence.

"Jessamine!" My father yelled as he stomped over to us. "You will never do that again so long as you live, you almost died for nothing! And you!" He turned to Hugh, "Be more careful!" He screamed at him. He then turned to Corvo, "And you pushing her like a rag doll!" He yelled in Corvo's face.

"Would you have preferred if I had let her die!" Corvo snarled back at him and took a step towards him, quite clearly challenging him. I'd never seen Corvo angry and he scared even me a bit.

"You dare talk to me like that —"

"Father, stop this nonsense. Corvo saved me, you should be thanking him. Hugh was trying his best not to hurt me, don't take this out on him either." I cut my father off as I stepped between the two, and pushed them away from one another. It seemed to work as my father instead decided to focus his anger on me, immediately forgetting the tone Corvo had taken up with him only moments prior.

"Young lady! We are going to have words!" My father began his rant as he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me with him as we made our way back to Dunwall Tower. I gave one last look behind me to see Corvo helping Hugh stand up while watching me walk off.

* * *

THREE HOURS LATER

* * *

"You were gone for a long while," Corvo remarked when I walked into my chambers. I looked over to see him sitting in his leather chair that he had taken such a liking to that he felt the need to sleep in it nightly, rather than his bed.

"I just had a few hour lecture on how I need to stop putting myself in harm's way for others, and that you're here to die for me, not the other way around," I huffed tiredly as I flopped down face first onto my bed. I was so tired of always being the one in the wrong. My father never understood the way I saw things, and I doubted he ever would; I just wanted someone who understood me for once, was that too much to ask?

"I hate to agree with him, but he is right Jessamine. What you did today was very foolish," Corvo stated as he walked over to me, he sat down on the edge of my bed and made me roll over. I opened my mouth to argue but he silenced me immediately by placing a finger over my lips. "That being said, I have you to thank for my life at the moment. I would not be alive right now if not for you. Thank you, I'll do whatever I can to repay you in the future," He finished quietly as he removed his finger. You can repay me now by kissing me, you idiot; I thought sullenly as I stared up at his face, his big brown eyes boring into mine. Why did he have to be so perfect? I sat up and hugged him, burying my face in his coat. He stiffened up immediately, but relaxed and returned the hug a few moments later. Part of me wanted to be brave enough to push things to the next step with Corvo, but I wasn't brave, and so I settled on being safe.

"I was scared I was going to lose you. You're my friend." I muttered, my voice muffled by his thick wool coat as I continued to cling to his much larger frame.

Corvo pushed me away after only a few more brief moments before replying, "Unfortunately, I'm a bit harder to get rid of than that. You're going to have to put up with me for quite a few more years if I have anything to do with it." He finished as he stood up and walked over to one of the windows, staring outside as though the scenery was the only interesting thing in Dunwall. I wondered if I'd done something wrong for his mood to change so quickly, one moment we'd been actually connecting, the next he was pushing me away. He was an incredibly confusing man, or maybe all men were this confusing, it's not like I knew which it was.

"Corvo, are you alright?" I asked hesitantly. I was slightly worried about what his answer would be, he could go from hot to cold in a second without warning and I didn't want him getting any colder right now. I needed someone I could actually talk to at the moment, and with my friend Dorothea gone that left me with Corvo.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. However I'm incredibly tired and I think I need to lay down," He responded and walked into his chambers which he so rarely used as of late. I sighed and flopped back down onto the bed as the door shut behind him, it looked like I would have to talk to myself if I needed someone to talk to. After an hour I had thought about opening the door to Corvo's chambers more times than I could count on both hands, I kept telling myself it would be to see if he was alright, but I knew that it was because I hated being lonely. So each time I thought of opening his door I stopped myself, I could handle a little loneliness, it had been my friend for more than a few years now after all. Later in the evening, a maid brought us both dinner; and Corvo advised her to take it back to the kitchen without even opening his door, shortly after she left I had to force myself not to go check on him, he was acting like there was something wrong. I just wish he would tell me what it was. I fell asleep that night without seeing him again.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

It was mid-day, and Corvo had left my side for a few moments to freshen up in the restroom, he had been acting strangely ever since yesterday; he seemed stiff like the first time we had met, and I wished he would talk to me about whatever was going on instead of pushing me away. How was I supposed to be his friend if he wouldn't let me be friendly with him? I was fed up with being stuck in the tower, the place where I was somehow equally important and unimportant all at the same time. It drove me insane, I was only important because of my father, because when he died it would be up to me or my husband to rule the isles. It was the mixture of my foul mood and the lack of Corvo's presence that inspired me to leave the tower like I had time and time before, I wanted to mingle with the commoners and be unimportant once again; I wanted to be just another face in the crowd instead of a young woman unsure of her rightful path in this world, the weight of my future occupation was already crushing down on me, burying me under the ground already.

I left the spot where Corvo had asked me to stay and walked to my father's office, I knew for a fact that it was empty, father was too busy entertaining parliament members at the moment to worry about laws and taxes. When I made it into his lavish office I dug around in his desk drawers until I found the one that was filled with small pouches of coins used to pay the maids and servants, I took three and hid them in my various pockets before leaving. Without Corvo, my father, or Hugh near me, none of the guards dare question where I was going, and leaving was easy.

"Have a good day Lady Kaldwin," An Officer told me as he opened the gate to the city for me without question. I nodded my thanks as I continued out into the bustling city. The streets were crowded and busy with people, and none of them noticed or recognized anything about me other than that the clothes I wore were that of an aristocrat, and I loved every second of the anonymity. I made my way through the city, looking at the vendors on the sides of the street and all of the crazy, lovely things they were selling. As I made my way deeper into the city the streets slowed down, the community was slowly morphing it's way into the lower classes. The further I ventured the more the poverty grew. A noticed a young woman with two children a bit further down the street, she was hanging clothes to dry as her young ones played together, and they looked as good as any poor commoners in the area to speak with. My father often scolded me for venturing this deep into the city to speak with people like her, but he didn't understand. Who spoke for these people? The lower classes, the beggars, the poor. Nobody did, because nobody cared enough, and I was tired of the irresponsibility the parliament and my father showed for these people. They still lived in the city, they were still our citizens, they still deserved their rights.

"Excuse me, ma'am," I spoke up as I approached her, and she quickly turned to face me. "I'm quite thirsty, I was wondering if you could indulge me a glass of water?" I asked hopefully, I wasn't thirsty but I needed an opportunity to get to know the people who needed help the most. I'd done this a few other times before, not enough to really get a feel for what these people needed from my family though. Once my father had found out what I was doing in the city he had quickly shut down my antics, and of course, Ephraim had no choice but to follow my father's orders and not let me into the city. Now I was free though, now I had my chance.

"Yes, of course, my lady. Please follow me," The young woman replied with a slight bow before leading me inside her small house. It was crowded, but quite clean compared to the other few houses I had been inside of in this district. The young woman led me into her kitchen before pouring some water in a large metal mug and handing it to me. "Here you are my lady," She gave me another slight bow as I took the cup from her. I hated how these people had to bow before everyone, they weren't animals, they weren't lesser beings, they were humans and should be treated as such. The shouldn't have to bow before any person wearing clothes that were more expensive that their own.

"Please ma'am, just call me Jessamine," I spoke up before taking a sip of the water she'd so kindly offered. I quickly watched her expression change to one of shock and slight fear as she realized who I was. Her reaction bothered me a bit, she shouldn't be scared of me; it was more than obvious that we were failing as a people if the common folk felt the need to fear the people in positions if power. "May we sit and talk?" I asked softly as I gestured to an empty table with two chairs a short distance from the two of us.

"Yes, of course, your highness…Er, I mean Jessamine," She replied, her voice shaking slightly as she tried to pull out a chair for me until I gestured her away. I wasn't paying her to be my servant, she didn't need to be catering to me like this.

"What's your name?" I questioned as I sat down as she took the seat across from me.

"I'm Shiara," She replied nervously, her hands fiddling with each other in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"What's life like for you Shiara?" I often worried about the quality of life for these people, as they had it the worst yet made up the bulk of our populace. Any government that treated the bulk of its populace poorly wasn't a government I wanted to be a part of, at least I could probably fix things a bit in the future.

"It's hard, my husband works twelve-hour shifts at the oil refinery. I mend people's clothes for money on the side and try to educate our boys as best I can but, that tends to come last at the end of the day. We often go hungry, but we're surviving. Why do you care your highness?" She questioned tentatively. Her question bothered me, people should be caring about this. The fact that she found it odd that someone cared only went to show how much work I would have to do when I finally took my father's office.

"It's just Jessamine. And I care because it's people like you that keep this city alive, and I'm tired of seeing our most dedicated citizens suffer the most. I want to know what to change when I come into power," I replied before taking another sip of the water. "What would you like most to see changed someday?" I asked. I was genuinely curious, each time I had asked someone they had said something different to say, most of the time things I hadn't even thought of myself.

"It would be a tie between my children being guaranteed a decent education, and my husband not having to work sixty hours a week just to get us enough coin to scrape by," She answered sadly as she looked at the floor. I felt genuinely bad for her, I never really appreciated how good I had things at the tower until I found out how so many others were living in this city. So few had a decent life, and so many had to struggle every day for things like food and a safe workplace. Every time someone I had talked to like this had told me about their life I'd gotten teary-eyed, and then angry; and this time was no different, I was currently swallowing back a lump in my throat from the pity I felt for this woman and her small family. I knew if I stayed and continued to talk with her, continued to learn more about the injustice she had to face every day I would probably let a tear or two spill; and I didn't want to show any weakness, my whole life I had been taught to never show any weakness to others.

"Thank you, for answering my questions and for your hospitality," I offered my thanks as I placed my cup down on the table, I had to get going before my real emotions began to slip through, and before someone at the tower really began to worry themselves over my disappearance. "I have something for you," I pulled all three pouches of coin out of my various pockets and laid them on the table in front of her, Sharia covered her mouth as she let out a gasp before looking up at me with tears in her eyes, her gratitude and amazement shining back at me through them. "Feed your family, get your children books, buy what you need but can't normally afford," I continued as I stood up from the small table. This was the least I could do for her, it wasn't fair that a few select people got to hoard the city's wealth while the others struggled just to live. Sharia stood up as well, tears flowing freely from her eyes, no longer held back; she walked closer to me before grabbing me in a tight embrace, holding me close with more strength that I expected from a woman her size.

"Thank you, Jessamine. You're an angel," Sharia gasped breathlessly before releasing me from her hold, her eyes still wet.

"You don't have to thank me. Have a good day Sharia," I offered before giving her a slight nod and turning to make my way out of her home, the last thing I heard before closing her door was the sound of her relieved sobs echoing through her small house. I made my way back to the tower slowly, thinking over the things Sharia had told me, and the way she reacted to such a meager amount of coin. I was so lost in thought I hadn't realized how far I'd traveled from the slums until people were jostling about me in the crowded, busy streets that were closer to the tower. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings before I heard a familiar, deep voice call my name; I quickly looked around for the source of it before getting a glance of Corvo searching for me frantically, I slipped past him unseen, using others to shield me from his view. I wasn't ready for his lecture quite yet, he could nag me later after I'd gotten over my concern for Sharia and her family.

"Jessamine!" I heard Corvo yell over the loud murmur of the crowd once more, but I continued to ignore it as I made my way towards to the tower. Apparently, I wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings, because I accidentally bumped into the backside of a huge man, I had just managed to step back a bit before he turned around to see who had bothered him. The second he turned around I felt a jab of worry wash through me, he definitely didn't look like a friendly fellow.

"You're the young Empress," The huge man leered down at me, I started to move away from him faster when he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back. "I bet I could get a big ransom for your pretty little head," He finished as three more larger than average men seemed to appear from nowhere, making their way out of the messy crowd and toward us. That was the moment when I realized that they were thugs, and I was very much in danger; these were the men that killed people for a few bronze pieces, the men who tortured others loved ones until they got the ransom they wanted, sending fingers and toes to the family until they finally managed to scrape together enough gold. I could still hear Corvo a little ways off yelling my name, and he was the only hope I had.

"Corvo!" I yelled as loud as I could manage, my voice echoing against the stone walls of the businesses lining the street.

"Shut up girl," The thug holding my arm growled as he squeezed tighter, and I forced myself not to wince.

"Jessamine!?" Corvo yelled again, closer this time; he had heard me, thank the Abbey.

"Corvo!" I shouted again, just before I saw him break through the crowd and we locked eyes; he looked terrified and relieved all at the same time, he looked the same way I felt. And then, before I knew what happened I felt the sharp sting of pain on the side of my face, whiplashing my head around violently; if it wasn't for the tight grip the thug had on my arm whatever hit me would have sent me falling onto the cobblestone below.

"I told you to shut up. I'll hit you again you dumb bitch," The thug holding my arm snarled just before I watched Corvo's sword go straight through one of his friend's chest, bright red blood gurgling out, the sword withdrew and he fell to the ground with a thud. That's when the madness broke out. Through my pain-fogged mind I heard women screaming, people were backing away from us, clearing the road. Another thug fell to the ground at Corvo's hands as he snapped his neck. The man holding me let go, and I backed away quickly, taking in the scene before me. The ground was turning red quickly as more blood drained from the impaled thug's chest. The remaining two had pulled large whale meat cleavers from the sheaths at their sides and they were both going for Corvo at the same time. Normal citizens were horrified, watching from a safe distance at the scene playing out before them. Corvo was blocking both of the men's assaults at the same time, and when one of them wasn't fast enough Corvo skewered him through the chest like his friend before him; he also fell to the ground, blood pouring out. That left only the thug that had hit me. The two of them fought viciously, but it was obvious that Corvo was furious, and I knew from yesterday that when he was mad he was pretty well unstoppable.

Corvo sliced deep into the thug's cleaver arm, and he dropped the weapon as he howled in pain. Corvo took the opportunity to punch him hard in the face, sending him falling to the ground before throwing his sword aside and kneeling down; digging his knee into the thug's chest before his fist made contact with his face, again and again, and again. I don't know how long I stood there watching Corvo furiously beat the thug with his bare hands, however, when I finally snapped out of my daze and fully processed the sight before me it was horrific. The street was covered with slick, dark red blood, three bodies stared up at the sky with their dull, dead eyes, and people were still standing around watching, even though it felt as though this had been going on hours now. Corvo was still on top of the final thug, his fist still making contact with his face even though it was a bloody and nearly unrecognizable pulp now; the thug wasn't even moving or making noise anymore, and it quickly dawned on me that I had probably just watched Corvo beat a man to death with his bare hands.

"Corvo?" I barely squeaked out, my voice small and unsteady. He immediately stopped all movement even though he was in the middle of the downswing for another punch. He looked over at me slowly, and what I saw absolutely terrified me. It didn't even look like the Corvo I knew was in there, all I saw was anger and bloodlust; almost like something inside of him lived to do this to people. He looked back down to the thug before standing up and walking over to me. I glanced up at him again and he was back to normal, all traces of whatever monster I had seen in him before were gone. He tilted my head up, inspecting where the thug had hit me earlier, it felt like that had been so long ago, but it couldn't have been.

"You're bleeding," Corvo muttered quietly before he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He pulled a flask from the pocket of one the dead bodies and doused it in the brown liquid that poured out before dabbing lightly at the shallow cut on my cheek. It stung horribly and I couldn't help but let out a small yelp. "I know, it hurts. I'm sorry," He offered softly as he trailed a thumb back and forth along my unhurt cheek in an attempt to soothe me. We both heard the pounding of large feet running towards us, and I peeked around Corvo's head to see two city guardsmen running towards us. Someone must have notified them of what was going on; they looked down at the scene before them, and then at me and Corvo with complete bewilderment.

"Sir…what happened here?" One of them asked as he approached Corvo and I slowly, cautiously.

"They were hurting your future Empress, so I killed them. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Corvo replied his voice a low growl as he stood and turned to face them.

"I understand you were doing your job, sir…But with all due respect, it's going to take us all night to clean up this mess," I heard the guard reply, but my vision was beginning to blur and waver.

"I don't see how that's my problem," Corvo growled somehow more menacingly than before. I felt my head getting light and everything was starting to go black around the edges, the darkness creeping further in with surprising speed.

"Corvo…" His name was the last thing I muttered before everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Mistake

"You found her thank the stars!" The Emperor yelled as he ran over to me as I walked up the tower, carrying Jessamine in my arms. "Is she alright?" He asked breathlessly as he stopped in front of me and looked down at her.

"She has a small cut, I found her just in time. I believe she passed out because all of the blood." I replied tiredly, I had just killed four men and carried her half a mile; I was in no mood for the question game.

"What! What do you mean the blood!" The Emperor exclaimed as he tilted his daughters face to inspect the small cut.

"The blood from the four men I killed right in front of her." I replied slightly harsher than I meant to, I was just so tired I wanted to put her down. The Emperor looked up at me with a mixture of fear, respect and gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you Lord Attano. You're worth your weight in gold." He said as he patted my shoulder.

"Just doing my job your Majesty. I'm going to take her to her room now. I'll bring you when she wakes up." I replied as I walked away and into the tower.

As I walked through the halls of the tower both maids and guards stared at me as I passed, I couldn't blame them. I was a dirty bloody mess carrying an unconscious royal through the halls of what was practically a palace. As I pushed open the doors to her chamber and gently deposited her on the bed I could feel my overworked muscles painfully trying to unwind themselves. After a few moments of catching my breath while clinging to the side of her bed, I walked to my chambers and immediately started to undress. I tossed the dirty bloody clothes in a corner, turned on the bath tap and watched as the water began to fill the large wooden basin.

My raw and bleeding knuckles were beginning to scab over, and bending my fingers sent tiny stabs of pain into my hand. Why did Jessamine run off without me? What was so important and taboo that she had to run off all alone into danger to do it? I was angry at her, furious even; she could have gotten herself killed. And then, I couldn't help but wonder if the reason she went without me was because she didn't trust me in some way.

I didn't have the patience to wait until the tub filled up all the way before getting in; the cold water made my muscles tense but I ignored it, splashing the water on my face and scrubbing. The icy water helped me clear my mind as I continued to to clean the dirt and blood from my body. I was still mad at Jessamine for her foolish actions, and she would answer to me for what she'd done. When I had found her in her situation I was genuinely scared that they might kill her before I could do anything. And then he hit her, and everything just went red; I didn't even realize what I had done until she had said my name. I sighed heavily as I buried my face in my hands. Yesterday I stayed in my chambers because I knew I was growing to close to her and I needed to distance myself; but today destroyed whatever resolve I had built up. She needed to know, or else she might get herself truly hurt next time.

I got out of the tub, and let myself air dry as I got a fresh uniform together. I grabbed a small cloth from a dresser drawer as well, and wiped the blood from my sword while I let myself finish drying. I dressed quickly, and opened my chamber door to see that Jessamine was still unconscious on her bed. I pulled my chair right next to the bed where she laid, so that when she woke up I could give her a piece of my mind. Lately whenever she was around my mind had been drifting to unsavory places, and I tried to stop every time I caught myself doing that; however it seemed no matter how I reprimanded myself those thoughts still occurred. Thoughts of me touching her, kissing her and fucking her seemed to berate me every time I wasn't occupying myself with something. I knew deep down that the reason I slept in her chambers in the chair was because part of me enjoyed thinking about those things; especially when I was watching her sleep. Before my mind could begin to drift down that path however I watched as she began to stir and wake.

"Corvo?" Jessamine asked as she slowly opened her eyes. I didn't respond as she sat up and looked around.

"How did I get here?" She asked as she looked back at me, I couldn't help but wonder why she had to be so beautiful as I stared into her eyes.

"I carried you." I responded gruffly, she wasn't going to escape my wrath just because I had feelings I shouldn't have for her.

"But…ho—Why?" I cut her off before she could finish her sentence, she paused staring at me confused.

"Why what?" She asked softly, almost timidly; as though she knew what was coming.

"Why did **you** run off without **me**?" I growled my hands unintentionally balling up.

"I—you wouldn't understand. Nobody ever does…" She trailed off as she looked away.

"No. You look at me." I growled as I grabbed her chin and the side of her face with a hand and pulled her gaze back over to me, "You almost died, there is nothing out there in that city that is worth your life." I stood up and started pacing as my voice grew louder and angrier. Jessamine seemed to try to shrink in size as a result.

"Please stop yelling." she requested quietly as she stood up.

"No Jessamine. I am not going to stop yelling. Do you have any idea what you did to me!? You scared me half to death, and I swear on my fathers grave if you ever scare me like that again I will put the fear of the Outsider in you." I threatened looming over her.

"You have to **care** about someone before they can scare you." She scoffed back at me. I was completely taken aback by her insult, and it took me a few moments to respond.

"You think I don't care about you…are you blind?" my voice softened considerably as I tilted her head up forcing her to look me in the eyes, "I care about you more than I should." I continued, then I bent down and pressed my lips to hers forcefully. She made a small surprised sound and then tried to wrap her arms around me before I pinned them to her sides. Her lips were soft and warm on mine, I only reveled in the pleasure of it for a few moments before pulling away and standing all the way up. Jessamine staring up at me with a mix of confusion, hurt and lust.

"Never scare me like that again." I ordered as I let go of her arms and walked out of the door to her chambers, letting it slam behind me.

* * *

"Jessamine! I have half the mind to restrict you to the tower until the day I die! If it wasn't for Lord Attano you would have died!" the emperor yelled at his daughter, continuing his already twenty minute rant. I would have said something, but I needed her to realize that she wasn't safe out there.

"I'm fine father. And you can't stop me. I'm going to do what I want to do with or without your permission. This is my life, not yours." She replied angrily.

"What were you even doing out there?" He asked for what must have been the fourth time.

"You want to know so damn bad? I was helping the people that you don't care about!" She retorted angrily. The emperor's face turned red as he tried to control himself.

"You do not understand what it is to be a leader yet. This conversation is over. Corvo, she is not to leave the tower until further notice." He ordered as he slammed his fist down on his large desk before turning back to his work. Jessamine looked up at me with one of the most broken and angry expressions I had ever seen. That's when I decided to get involved.

"Your Majesty, with all due respect. Your daughter will never learn how to be a leader until she is put in a position where people look to her for guidance. I do not believe that locking her away here is going to help her." I said, my voice filling the room and causing the emperor to turn back around.

"No? Then enlighten me Lord Attano. What should I do with my daughter?" the emperor asked sounding exasperated as he took a seat and stared at me awaiting an answer.

"You should let her outside of the tower only so long as she has me with her. As I do believe I've proven today, so long as I'm by her side no harm shall befall her. Letting her go out among the people will not only stop the both of you from having these fights, it will also boost the morale of your people, they will look up to her for help and guidance and they will help form her into a leader." I replied and paused before looking down at Jessamine who was looking up at me hopefully, "However, if she ever ventures outside of the tower without me I suggest you remove this privilege for as long as you see fit. As doing so it both **foolish** and **dangerous**." I finished purposely pointing the last insult at her before looking back up at the emperor.

He scratched his chin before replying, "Your argument does have merit Lord Attano…" he paused considering what to say next, "I agree with your terms. Jessamine…can you abide by this?" he asked as I saw hope flow back into her eyes.

"Yes father. I promise." she replied her voice full of hope.

"Then so be it. Now go, I have important matters to attend to." He ordered as he focused on the papers at his desk and waved us away.

We walked back to her chambers in silence, nothing but the sound of our footsteps on the floor. I couldn't believe that I had kissed her, how stupid could I be. I needed her to want to go to the other isles or else this plan would fail. I had to make her feel impartial to me somehow, and kissing her wasn't the way to do that. But dammit why did I want to do it again and again. She's just another job, I kept repeating in my head.

I held open one of the doors to her chamber for her and followed her in. She sat on her bed while I stood in front of the window and stared out at the ocean.

"Why did you stand up for me?" she questioned.

"Because I can see that for some reason this matters to you." I replied trying to make my voice sound angry but it came out exhausted instead.

"Thank you." she quietly finished as I watched a whale ship slowly float by.

"Don't." I replied gruffly, as I continued to stare out the window at the view outside.

There was a long few moments of silence before she spoke again, "Corvo…what was that earlier?" she asked timidly.

"Can you be more specific?" I questioned starting to get fed up with all the talking, I enjoyed silence.

"The kiss…" she trailed off. I turned around to look at her; she was playing with her hands, her expression hopeful. It broke a small piece of me inside knowing that if I couldn't make her feel impartial to me I could at least make her hate me; right now.

"It was a mistake." I replied gruffly as I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall.

"So you didn't mean anything by it?" She asked, her voice small and hurt.

"No. I was in the heat of the moment and lost my bearing. I feel nothing for you. I doubt I ever could, you don't possess what I need in a woman." I lied trying to sound like a conceited asshole. And I could tell by the look on her face that I succeeded, although it looked more as though I had broken her and not angered her.

"Thank you…for your honesty…." she replied softly as she stared down at her bedspread, and I pretended that I didn't see her lips quiver as she fought to hold back tears.

"It's late your highness. I bid you goodnight." I said quickly and walked into my chambers, closing the doors behind me before collapsing on my bed.

Well if there was anything I had done, I had broken her heart. It appeared to me as though I was her first 'unrequited' love. I could hear her quiet sobs through the door; and every part of me wanted to walk back out there, lay down next her pull her into my arms and tell her how I lied. How I did care and I did want her and she was everything I had ever hoped to have in a partner. But I didn't do any of that, because I wasn't the hero. I was the villain, and it was my job to hurt her; even if doing so hurt me too.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Suitors and Piano Lessons

* * *

THREE MONTHS LATER

"Good morning Corvo." I said cooly as he stepped out of his chambers. I was still holding a grudge over the night when he had kissed me, then told me I would never be anything to him. Some first kiss I got. He had tried multiple times to reconcile the atmosphere between us, but I didn't want reconciliation; I wanted revenge.

"Good morning Jessamine." he sighed, already well aware that another day of tense silence and terse statements awaited him. I was trying not to care, or wonder about him at all; but I was failing miserably. On the outside I put up a pretty good show, I acted as though he was as interesting and helpful as a dull brick wall. On the inside I still lusted for him the way I did months earlier, I was still attracted to him and I still occasionally daydreamed about the love affair I wished we had. I wondered if he missed his first two weeks here, the weeks when we were actually friends.

"It's time for breakfast, we should go." Corvo said, his voice heavy. Ever since he kissed me he had seemed more burdened than usual, but he deserved it so I didn't exactly care. I didn't bother responding, instead I just walked out of my chambers and towards the dining hall, leaving Corvo to follow me.

I had even talked to Ephraim about Corvo a few times after the kiss, he didn't have much to say about his nephew though; other than that he wasn't a people person. Some help he was. I went into the city about once a week, and every time we went I always caught Corvo looking at me a little too friendly for someone who has no feelings. I also saw the jealousy in his eyes when the aristocrat boy brought me some flowers that he picked, and I kissed his cheek in return; Corvo did have feelings for me in some fashion. And I would use those against him every chance I got.

He opened the doors to the dining hall for me and I sat myself at the table next to father, who was already eating fruit and pheasant with Hugh. Corvo sat down next to me a moment later.

"Jessamine, I want you to meet with some suitors." he said before taking another bite. I couldn't help but notice how that got Corvo's attention.

"Well good morning to you too father." I remarked, I had been giving everybody more attitude ever since the kiss and I blamed it all on Corvo.

"Don't get me off topic." father responded oddly calmly before continuing, "You're getting to that age, you're going to need a man. I'd like you to visit a few of the other isles at the end of the Month of Earth." He finished before taking another bite.

"You want to send me off the isles?" I asked, I was genuinely surprised he hardly allowed me any freedoms.

"Yes. I thought you'd want to go. You're always so adventurous. But if you'd like to stay at the tower then I could ask a few to come here…" my father trailed off as I stared at him in disbelief. Corvo took my plate from me and began to fill it with food, it wasn't his job but I wasn't going to stop him.

I glanced over at Corvo quickly, and I could see worry in his eyes. What from? And then I realized it was because I was going to see suitors, I might return with a husband. And I couldn't wait to make him sweat even more.

"I'd love to see the other isles father. Which ones were you thinking of?" I asked pleasantly as Corvo placed my now full plate in front of me, but for some reason he seemed more relieved now; what a peculiar man he was.

"All of them. Serkonos, Tyvia and Morley." He replied between bites of food. I picked at my plate slowly as I wondered what kind of an adventure this would turn out to be.

"Will I be going alone? You know I don't like having an entourage." I questioned between bites.

"Of course not. It will be you and Corvo. You don't consider that an entourage do you?" He asked jokingly, he was in a strangely good mood today.

"That's fine." I replied taking another bite, "Who am I to be meeting?"

"In Tyvia you will be meeting Prince Albert of Yaro and Prince Charles of Samara. In Morely, future Chancellor Edgar of Arran and Chancellor Augustus of Alba. And in Serkonos you'll meet with the Duke Theodanis." Father stated as he sipped on his wine.

"That sounds lovely." I replied as I watched Corvo out of the corner of my eye. He ate slowly, watching the scene in front of him meticulously.

"Good. I'll send word back to them then." Was all father said in response. We ate the rest of our meal in silence.

* * *

TWO DAYS LATER

* * *

"You really don't need to come Corvo. Dorothea is a good friend, and an instructor of mine for years; she'd never hurt me." I muttered as I braided my hair. Corvo stood in the far corner of my chambers, watching me as always.

"With all due respect Jessamine. Let me do my job." Corvo replied gruffly, as I finished tying my hair back; I didn't want him to come because I needed someone to talk to about women stuff. Corvo wouldn't understand such things.

"Fine but you're going to be bored, it's just a piano lesson." I argued as I stood up and smoothed my shirt.

"I've never seen you play before. Have you ever thought that perhaps I'm curious?" he replied as I turned to face him. He was smiling, trying to bridge the gap between us that I was forcing open.

"Dorothea has been out for a while, she traveled to Serkonos to study music over there. She's back now." I stated ignoring his attempt at friendliness as I walked out of my chamber and down the hall, Corvo following after me as always. It was a short walk to the music chamber where Dorothea was sitting at the piano playing the drunken whalers song, waiting for me to show up for my lesson. She stopped playing as she heard the doors close behind Corvo. She stood up and turned around; smiling when she saw me.

"Jess!" She exclaimed as she ran forward and grabbed me in a hug. "Oh I missed home! We have so much stuff to talk about!" She exclaimed again before looking behind me at Corvo.

"Oh, who's your new friend?! Is that your husband!? Did you get married without me!? He's very handsome." she said loudly, seeming to forget that Corvo was in the room with us.

"No. That's my new body guard, Corvo. Ephraim retired." I growled annoyedly, not at her. But at Corvo, who I could feel was smirking widely.

"Aww. That's too bad." She replied sadly as she walked back over to the piano. She patted the bench next to her, asking me to take a seat. I sat next to her reluctantly, it had been so long since I had played. And I knew that she expected me to have written another short song these last few months, that was the assignment she had left me with.

"Ok! Show me what you've done!" She exclaimed, wanting me to jump right into my newest song that I hadn't even perfected yet. I sighed and slowly began to play, the crisp notes floating in the air. She stopped me when I was halfway through, "Jess. Songs are supposed to have words. Okay, play the last one you did originally." She ordered as she folded her hands in her lap.

"Dorothea you know I hate singing." I complained as she stared down at me.

"I don't understand why either. You're amazing." She praised as as placed my hand back on the piano.

"There are times when I hate you." I glowered at her and she laughed.

"Come on. Ooooh, are you embarrassed because your sexy bodyguard is here!?" She yelled before laughing loudly.

"I am not!" I yelled as I slapped her arm playfully, even though that was exactly the reason. I looked over my back at Corvo who was leaning against the back wall, his brow quirked with a slight smile on his face.

"Prove it!" She said as she slowly stopped laughing. I glowered at her before pounding out the first few chords of the song. I sang shakily at first, but got it together quickly, and as soon as I forced myself to forget that Corvo was in there with us it was actually a little fun.

"See that wasn't that bad was it?!" she chuckled before turning to Corvo, "And you don't secretly love her any less do you?" She asked Corvo seemingly jokingly, but I knew her better than that.

"That's for me to know, and her to find out." Corvo joked before winking at Dorothea and she burst into another hit of laughter. She seemed to forget about the music lesson as she told me about her times in Serkonos, the beaches and the people. I told her about my father sending me to the isles to try to find a man, and she joked about Corvo being all the man I'd ever need. We talked until Corvo reminded me that I had dinner with my father soon, and then I bid her farewell. As I left the music hall with Corvo I thought of how lucky I was to have a friend like her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:Reconciliation

* * *

THREE WEEKS LATER

* * *

I followed Jessamine onto the freight ship, I carried both her bag and mine. I missed being her friend and not her servant, part of me wished I had never kissed her. We followed the captain into the hull of the ship; he gave us our own personal room, however there was only one bed. Great, looked like I'd be sleeping on the floor.

"This was all we could provide on your fathers short notice. I hope it is adequate my lady." He said as she sat on the bed and I dropped our bags.

"Yes this is quite fine. Thank you sir." She replied, he gave me a small smile before leaving us alone. I should have felt good, my mission was so very near completion. But instead I just felt dread and sorrow.

"Corvo?" Jessamine's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Yes Jessamine?" I asked, but it was more of a huff; I seemed to huff everything these days.

"I'd prefer if you began calling me Lady Kaldwin once again. We aren't necessarily friends, we shouldn't refer to each other as such." She said as she looked up at me. I couldn't help the face of complete injustice I gave her, she was revoking my name privileges? My hands unintentionally balled up the way they did every time I was heavily annoyed.

"You know what Lady Kaldwin; I'd like to say that I'm surprised, that I thought you were different from the other aristocrats. But I can't because you're all the same…entitled, rude, selfish wastes of flesh. But at the end of the day I guess it dosen't matter because you won't be my problem soon." I growled, my voice low and quiet. She looked both hurt and insulted but I didn't wait around to listen to her response. Instead I left the room, closing the door behind me and locking it from the outside with a wooden plank. She was infuriating and I wasn't about to let her out of that room without me.

I made my way to the deck to get some fresh air and clear my mind. Ever since I said the kiss was a mistake we had drifted apart and she had become a maddening little flirt with every other man she saw. Almost like she knew it made me jealous. Several sailors nodded their respects as I walked by but I was in no mood to acknowledge anyone. I leaned on the rail of the ship as I watched Dristol shrink behind us and the open water ahead of us.

I wanted nothing more than to pull Jessamine close and kiss her senseless; and yell at her for being such an obstinate, blind, childish young woman. But I knew I couldn't. I couldn't walk in there and cloud her mind up when I was so close to being done with this job, she needed to meet her suitors. I couldn't interfere again. I could however give her a dose of reality. I stared into the ocean, wishing things were different. But sadly things would never be what I wished in my mind.

"Sir. Supper has been served. You should grab yourself and the little lady some food." The captain said patting my shoulder.

"Thank you sir." I sighed in response. As he walked off I followed him down into the hull, hungry sailors lined up at the food table. I waited in line like everyone else, not wanting to be back in Jessamine's presence quite yet. I instead listened to the sailors, some of them were lonely drunkards, others were family men who needed more in order to get their families a better life. But even the line moved too quickly, and before I knew it I was filling two bowls with fish chowder and grabbing two slices of hearty bread and making my way back to our temporary room.

I placed one bowl on the ground while I removed the plank of wood and opened the door, I picked it up before walking back in and pushing the door closed behind me.

"How dare you!" Jessamine yelled at me right before her small fists started hitting me all over, I lost grip on one of the bowls and it tumbled to the floor with a splat.

"Stop it! What are you doing?" I shouted over her grunts as she tried to hit me hard enough to actually hurt.

"You locked me in here! After yelling at me like that!" She exclaimed as she stopped hitting me, standing as close to me as she could. I placed the chowder and bread on her bed before pinching the bridge of my nose and sighing heavily.

"What you don't even have anything to say for yourself!" She yelled at me as I turned to face her.

"Jessamine. You made me drop my dinner." I responded calmly as I crossed my arms.

"You're to refer to me as Lady Kaldwin! And it serves you right!" She shouted at me before she rushed at me and started hitting me again. I stood there and let her hit me until she was tired out, I don't think she could have hurt me no matter how badly she wanted to.

"Jessamine I will not refer to you as Lady Kaldwin, and you can not make me. Please sit down and eat. We really need to talk." I sighed. I was so tired of denying myself her, I was tired of hurting her feelings and I was tired of being the bad guy.

She sat down with a humph. Picked up the bowl and began to eat the bread that had been dipped in the soup, meanwhile I got a rag from the small sink and wiped up the mess my soup had made. When I finished I cleaned the towel in the sink and sat down next to her as she stopped eating, and put the half full bowl down on her other side.

"What do you want to talk about?" She questioned grudgingly as she stared at the ground.

"I know that you've been like this because of that kiss all those months ago," I started as I looked over at her to see her look back up at me, "and I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to do that in the first place, and it was even worse for me to lie about it afterwards. But I can't change the past." I trailed off as I looked at the floor trying to choose my next words carefully.

"What did you lie about?" She asked as she grabbed me by the chin and forced me to look over at her, her skin pulling against the stubble on my jaw.

I sighed heavily before replying, "I lied when I said I feel absolutely nothing towards you, and that you're nothing I want in a woman. Because no matter how I lie to myself I know every night, that I do have feelings for you, feelings that I shouldn't have for you. Because in reality you are everything I could ever want in a woman. But we can never be and I'm not the man for you." I watched as her face lit up with happiness and then turned to confusion.

"What do you mean Corvo?" She asked softly, wanting me to elaborate on something I couldn't. I couldn't tell her who or what I really was, but I didn't exactly have to lie and make up something up when there were already dozens of reasons why we could never be.

"I'm not husband material Jessamine. Especially not for someone like you, you're a royal. I'm just me. You deserve a gentleman who's capable of loving you the way you deserve. I am not that man. Please accept that, because I have." I said, she didn't respond for a long while while she stared at the ground.

"But you're nobility Corvo…we could be together if we wanted…" She replied softly as she looked back up at me. But if only she knew the truth, that I wasn't nobility that I was just a street rat who knew how to use a sword; she wouldn't like me if she knew any of the truth of who I truly was.

"No we can't. Trust me, if you knew me that way I know me you wouldn't want anything to do with me." I said, she looked sad but it looked as though she finally seemed to accept that no meant no.

"Then let me decide that for myself! Let me get to know you!" She protested.

"Fine, you can get to know me after your return to Dunwall." I said and her face lit up again before I continued, "But I want you to get to know your suitors and pick unbiased, wether or not they're right for you." I finished. She didn't seem to like the terms but she didn't protest. After all, I was the only one who knew that she wouldn't be returning to Dunwall ever, at least not as un-married woman.

"Here. I'm full." Jessamine said as she handed me her dinner bowl, "I'm sorry I made you drop your food." She finished as she stared down at the floor almost sadly.

"It's ok, I don't blame you. I'm an asshole when I'm mad." I replied as I took a small sip of the chowder. "Are you sure you're done?" I asked just to make sure, she hadn't eaten a lot.

"Yea, It's not very good." she replied as she played with her hands. She was right it didn't compare to what she normally ate, but it was still pretty decent in my books. I finished what she gave me and placed the bowl on the ground.

"Are we friends again?" Jessamine asked softly as she looked up at me.

"I never stopped being your friend."

* * *

FIVE DAYS LATER

* * *

I stood on the dock as the ship cut through the ice; Tyvia was off in the distance, we would reach Yaro before nightfall. The cold wind gusted my face, and I reveled in the smell of the crisp air as my knuckles began to turn blue. Jessamine had stopped treating me like a servant and had started offering her kindness once again; it was nice not to have her constantly at my throat.

"A bit cold out here sir." I turned to see the captain walking over to stand by my side.

"And a bit claustrophobic inside." I replied as another gust of wind hit.

"True, it's been a long journey. Ships aren't for every man." The captain said, "How's the little lady holding up?" He changed the subject.

"She's fine. As long as she has a book she'll stay in the same place for hours." I replied and he chuckled as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Before he could reply I heard Jessamine's voice cutting through the wind.

"Corvo! Guess what!?" She yelled as she ran forward and skidded on the wet dock when she tried to stop, sliding into my back and pushing me into the rail. "Oopph. Sorry." She said as she grabbed the rail next to me.

"What is it?" I sighed good naturedly as I shook my head.

"I finished the book! And the man she was in love with was actually the villain, and he was going to steal her family's inheritance. But then her sister came back and stopped him." She explained enthusiastically before another big gust of wind came and almost knocked her over, I braced her back and pushed her against the rail with my arm. "It's so cold out here." She mumbled before her teeth started chattering.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." I replied as I removed my heavy coat weapons still attached, and draped it around her shoulders. She snuggled into it happily. The cold hit me intensely as it cut through the thin longsleeve cotton shirt I wore under my back and breastplate.

"I didn't bring another book though…I didn't think it would take this long." She said forlornly as she shrugged my coat all the way on, pushed the sleeves up so they didn't drape over her hands and buttoned it up. I had to admit she was pretty adorable in my clothes, my pistol and sword belt hung off her loosely and my sword dragged on the ground. On top of that, the bottom hem of my jacket dragged on the ground, a few inches too long for her.

"I bet I have some books for you little lady." The captain said instantly getting her attention, "Have you ever heard about the Kraken?". They talked for a while longer while the air chilled me to the bone and I found myself shivering. The captain began to lead her to his chambers and she followed him.

"Are you coming Corvo?" She asked expectantly.

"You'll be fine Jessamine." I replied and she chased after him following him into his cabin.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

I woke quickly, and got out of bed putting my boots, armor and coat on in haste. I had to meet with Jessamine before her breakfast with Albert. Yesterday he had shown her every possibly interesting thing in his city, holding her almost every moment of the day to 'keep her warm'. But I was a man, and I knew better. I reached her guest quarters quickly and opened the door to find her braiding her hair.

"Good morning Corvo." She said as she finished tying it up.

"Morning." I replied as she stood up and turned around.

"I couldn't get these buttons, could you do them?" She asked and I obliged, buttoning the middle two buttons on the back of her dress.

"So, what do you think of Albert?" I asked as I tapped her shoulder to let her know I was done.

"He's attractive, for an older man." She noted almost sourly.

"He's only 26." I replied wondering what her problem was with his age.

"He's eight years older than me." She complained quietly.

"You like me though, and I'm seven years older than you." I remarked. She stared at me in somewhat disbelief, and that's when I realized she never had a clue how old I was.

"It's different." was her sole response.

"How so?" I asked, genuinely curious. Did she have problems with older men?

"Well you don't look like you're 25. And your hair isn't already grey." She complained loudly and I chuckled.

"Hey there, I still have a few months until I'm 25, don't go aging me early. And someday I'll have grey hair, who knows I may even put on a few pounds." I joked as I grabbed the thick fur and velvet coat Albert had gifted her, and slung it over my arm in case she'd be needing it.

"And your point is?" She asked as she walked out of her guest chambers and I followed behind her.

"Everyone ages, you shouldn't pick your partner because they appeal to your eyes alone." I replied as I followed her through the hallways. She was silent after that, probably thinking over what I had just said to her. She opened the door to the small sunroom and I followed her inside, Albert was sitting at a small round table while servants brought food and laid it on the table in front of him.

"Jessamine. You are absolutely stunning as always." Albert relished as he stood and walked over to her before kissing her cheek, "I see you still have your attack dog following you like a lost puppy." he said coldly as he stared me down.

"Corvo is my bodyguard, and I wouldn't feel safe without him around. I hope that you can respect that, being as we just met yesterday." Jessamine said firmly holding her ground against Albert which I was glad for. I didn't trust him, he was much too hands on with Jessamine and had noted about wanting privacy before. The next two days I would be hovering over her at almost all moments to ensure that he was keeping his hands off the Duke's goods.

"I respect all of your wishes my lady." Albert replied with ease, trying to get on her good side once again, "I expect that you're ready for breakfast?" he asked as he took her hand and led her over to the table. I watched quietly from a distance while they ate and talked, the whole time Albert tried to impress her with his small matters of state accomplishments. However, I knew Jessamine well enough to be able to tell that she wasn't impressed by him. All he'd managed to do in his time was raise taxes to build more city infrastructure, and even in his personal life he seemed quite dull. He doted on the fact that he played flute and was some kind of swordsman prodigy. Of course Jessamine requested to see him in action, and he quickly obliged that he would later show her all of his skills; a simple statement that I knew had much more meaning than she was picking up on.

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to freshen up a bit." Jessamine said as she stood up and made her way to the powder room before closing the door behind her. I watched as Albert stared me down until a maid came over to take the empty dishes. She gathered them quickly, but when she stood to leave with them she dropped the silver on the ground where it clattered on the floor loudly.

"I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy." She said quickly as she placed the dishes back on the table and quickly gathered the silver. Albert stood and walked over to her stiffly.

"We have an Empress in our presence, and you believe that being clumsy is an excuse for bumbling into everything and making a mess?" he growled as he grabbed the maid by the collar of her shirt before smacking her, the loud crack of skin hitting skin filled the room as her head whiplashed to the side. "Fix yourself woman." He finished as he let go of her collar. She rushed to grab the plates and leave the sunroom quickly.

"What? Do you have something to say?" he growled as he looked over at me and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I thought the nobility like yourself was supposed to set an example for what being a gentleman or lady is supposed to look like. But I've seen whores receive better treatment than that from murderers." I replied stiffly as he walked over to confront me.

"Are you saying I'm not a gentleman?" Albert asked as he stood mere inches from me.

"I'm saying that I'm not a gentleman by any standards, but even I would never hit a woman for dropping a few forks." I replied as I watched Jessamine exit the powder room from the corner of my vision.

"You incompetent, insufferable excuse for a bodyguard. You dare mock my moral fiber?" Albert growled his voice slowly getting louder and louder. I was too busy watching Jessamine stare at us from a distance to realize what he was doing when he reached for my holstered pistol. "I could kill you in a heartbeat. Don't assume just because you're the larger man here that you have the upper hand." he growled as he pressed the barrel of my pistol to the underside of my jaw, forcing my head up a bit. "Now I believe an apology is in store." he finished as he cocked the flintlock and waited for my response. I stood there watching Jessamine's face of worry and horror and had just looked back down at Albert when she spoke up.

"Albert, why are you threatening Corvo's life?" she asked, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife through butter. Albert grunted as he spun around to face Jessamine, moving the gun from my jaw as he turned. And then when he stood there facing her the only thing that immediately registered in my mind was that he was pointing my loaded, cocked pistol at Jessamine. He wasn't threatening me anymore, he was threatening her.

I quickly knocked him off balance by kicking the back of his knee in. I followed him to the ground where he knelt and grabbed his pistol hand, twisting it back around so that I was forcing him to hold it against his own head as I pinned his other arm behind his back.

"I may not care if you hold a gun to my head all day, but the second that you threaten **my** princess is the second that things start to get personal. You do understand that if you married her I would still be her bodyguard, correct? And if you did ever happen to get that close to her, and I **ever** caught wind that you hit her like you just hit your maid, I would make you pay in blood." I growled as Albert grunted and struggled underneath me.

"Call off your dog child." Albert yelled at Jessamine, and I looked up to see her staring at us eyes wide and mouth agape. She looked scared, and I couldn't blame her in the slightest.

"Corvo. Stop this madness." she said softly, I stood up pulling my pistol out of Alberts hand and un-cocking it before holstering it again. He stood up slowly, grunting with effort until he was back on his feet and walking over to Jessamine.

"You had better have him punished for everything that he just did!" He told her as he stood too close to her for me to be comfortable with it.

"You never answered my question, why were you threatening his life?" Jessamine asked, her voice still soft but a bit bolder than last time.

"I don't need to answer to a child. You will order him to be flogged immediately." Albert ordered loudly as he crossed his arms and stepped even closer to her. They stared each other down until Jessamine began to speak.

"Corvo…" Jessamine paused briefly to look away from Albert and toward me, "tell me why he was threatening your life." she finished and I was a bit surprised, I was expecting her to follow his wishes.

"You dare disobey my wishes while standing in my house?" He growled dangerously as he unfolded his arms and clenched his fists, I stepped forward quickly to push them away from each other before Jessamine stopped me by holding her flat palm out towards me.

"And you dare threaten me while nestled comfortably within **my** empire. You draw a shorter stick against me, learn your place…old man." She replied boldly as she closed the distance between then with a small single step, challenging him. I had my hand on my pistol, ready to draw if he made a move to hurt her. He was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time before speaking up.

"You will both be out within the hour. Or else…" he growled before turning around and stalking out of the room. I stepped forward after the door closed behind him, shortening the distance between myself and Jessamine.

"He beat a maid, and then I made a comment that apparently hurt his feelings. I only laid a hand on him after he was pointing a loaded weapon at you, he could have killed you." I explained as I stood in front of her, she looked up at me appraisingly before replying.

"He beat a maid?" She asked as she turned and began to walk away.

"For dropping the dining silver on the floor." I replied distastefully as I followed along beside her, opening the door for her and following her into the hallway.

"What did you say to him?" She asked curiously as she made her way back to her guest chambers.

"That he's nobility and is supposed to be a gentleman that others can strive to be like, I simply pointed out that I'm no gentleman and even I wouldn't hit a woman for something like that." I said as I followed her inside her chambers and closed the door behind us, I turned to see her packing her bag with her clothes. She turned and I watched her struggle to unbutton the back of her dress until I walked over and helped her.

"What would you hit a woman for then?" She questioned as my fingers made quick work of the buttons on the back of dress. I wasn't quite sure how to reply; I'd hit women during sex granted they'd agreed that it was ok, and I never did it nearly as hard as I could have; but I couldn't exactly explain how I enjoyed being rough with others for my own pleasure.

"I can't think of any situation off the top of my mind, but I'm sure that there is one." was my response as I stepped away, she grabbed a small stack of clothes and walked off behind a screen to change.

"Shouldn't you be gathering your belongings? We've outlived our welcome." she reminded me from behind the screens and she was right, I should be getting my things together as well, but it wouldn't feel safe leaving her alone now.

"There's no way I'm letting you out of my sight. We'll retrieve my things when you're done in here." I replied as I started going through the drawers in her room, gathering the things she'd missed.

"A bit overprotective…don't you think." she asked before she stepped out from behind the screen, dressed in her regular black and white Dunwall attire.

"I think it's my responsibility to keep you safe. And I refuse to fail."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Near Death Experiences

* * *

A FEW HOURS LATER

* * *

We'd been walking for several hours already, and the sun was setting quickly. Corvo hadn't seemed surprised when Albert's men refused to give us horses or provisions for the trip to Samara. He'd told me that on foot it would most likely take us another full day to make it there; and I was already starving, freezing and tired. I was relieved when Corvo let us stop for the night. We were nowhere near Samara or Yaro, and we wouldn't have any shelter except for the tall pine trees. I sat on the snowy cold ground when I heard a pack of wolves howling off in the distance, their beautiful eerie voices filling the silence.

"Great." Corvo murmured before he started digging in the ice near the tree trunk.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly as I noticed how pale his hands were from the cold.

"Wolves. Because apparently surviving the exposure wasn't enough to overcome in the first place." he replied grimly as he started to pick up small twigs, sticks and needles.

"What are you doing?" I asked softly as he started arranging them on the snow, in a small circle.

"We need a fire, we'll freeze to death otherwise." he said gruffly as he started poking around for more twigs. I stood up to help him, but all I found was a large branch that had fallen off one of the trees a while ago, I dragged it over regardless. He looked up from the mound of twigs and needles before walking over and drawing his sword. I stepped away unaware of what he was going to do until he lifted it high above his head and slammed it down slicing through the better half of the branch with ease. He did so two more times before holstering his sword and breaking the branch with his hands in the spots he'd partially cut.

"That's all the wood you're using?" I questioned, as I watched him stack the two small logs over the kindling before he pulled a match book out of his breast pocket.

"One day you'll learn, that a little fire that warms is better than a big fire that burns." he remarked, and I couldn't help but wonder if he meant more than the words gave away. But, before I could wonder too much he'd gotten the fire going and I sat down next to him to feel the heat for myself. I'm not sure how long I sat there; reveling in the warmth of the tiny fire and trying to get closer to Corvo every time he shivered, but each time he moved away. I couldn't help but feel bad for him; at least I had a jacket to withstand the Tyvian cold, his wool coat was definitely helping him, but he was freezing. I heard another chorus of howls start up; much closer this time than last, and I wondered how far away the wolves were.

"Corvo, do you think the wolves will bother us?" I asked somewhat timidly, the only place we could go was up a tree. And I wasn't nearly tall enough to grab the lowest branches.

"They don't like fire, but they will if they're hungry enough." He replied gruffly as he blew into hands trying to warm them. I scooted closer to him, hoping my body heat could help in some way, but he moved away just as he had been the whole time.

"Why won't you let me help you?" I asked exasperatedly as he shivered violently again.

"What?" He asked gruffly, I couldn't tell if he was playing dumb, or if the cold was dulling his senses.

"You're freezing, come here." I said as I reached out and grabbed his arm, tugging him toward me.

"I'm fine." Corvo replied, as he pulled his arm from my grasp.

"That was an order. Come here." I said again, more sternly this time. He listened and moved as close to me as he could, I wrapped my arms around him pulling my big fluffy jacket around us with ease. I'm not sure how long we sat there; relishing in the warmth of each other and the fire, but I was just starting to drift to sleep when I heard a loud snarl and chomping of teeth nearby. Corvo stood immediately, letting the cold get to me and wake me up quickly. I stood up slightly disoriented to see him holding his pistol towards the dark woods around us.

"You need to get in a tree." he ordered briskly as a wolf paced forward slowly from the treeline, it's eyes glowing red from the fire.

"I'm too short." I replied quietly, just before the loud bang of a bullet broke the air, immediately followed by a yelp as the wolf ran back into the treeline.

"C'mon." he ordered, as he holstered his pistol and grabbed my arm roughly before pulling me over to the closest pine tree. He picked me up with ease, pushing me close enough to one of the thick lower branches to grab on. I held onto the branch tightly as my feet struggled for purchase against the trunk. Finally I found it and crawled up onto the branch looking down at Corvo with worry.

"Keep going. It can't support both of us." he ordered; and I scrambled further up into the tree, before looking down to see him jump up and grab the lowest branch. I watched as another shadow emerged from the dark and ran toward Corvo quickly, I didn't have enough time to yell his name before I watched it jump up and clamp onto his leg with ease. He was surprisingly silent as the wolfs teeth tore into his leg. I watched with horror, as he struggled to hold onto the branch with one arm as he grabbed, and cocked his pistol before another shot rang out and the wolf fell to the cold icy ground twitching. He pulled himself up onto the branch, before following the path I'd taken to get to one of the stronger thicker branches in the tree. By the time he got over to me he was panting and shaking; I couldn't tell if it was from blood loss or the cold, probably both.

"Lay down." I commanded, as I moved from the juncture of the branch towards the thinner waning part. He listened to my orders, and rested his back against the trunk and he sat on the branch. I reached down and grabbed his injured leg, ignoring the small grunt of pain he let out. I laid it out straight on the branch; but when I pulled my hands away they were covered in warm sticky blood, shining black in the dim moonlight.

"You're bleeding too much. Do you have a knife?" I asked briskly, I was scared. Scared that he was going to die and that it was going to be my fault; I needed to make him a bandage or he'd most certainly be dead before morning. I watched as he reached over and pulled a small but deadly looking knife out of his boot; I held my hand out waiting for him to give it to me but instead he stared at it conflictedly, looking between me, and the knife in his hands multiple times.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked as I reached out, and took it from him before he could stop me. I pulled off my heavy Tyvian coat and cut a long strip of fabric from the bottom before handing his back his small knife, I ignored how the cold nipped at me until I got the coat back on. I couldn't help but notice how he turned the knife over and over in his hands, as though he was trying to decide what to do with it; until he finally slipped it in his other boot. I leaned forward and wrapped the long strip of fabric around his leg before tying it tight. I forced myself to ignore his growls of pain until I was sure that it was tight enough, and completely covering the deep bite.

"Do you think you'll be alright?" I asked softly as he looked up at me appraisingly; as though he was trying to decide something important inside his mind.

"We'll find out soon enough." he replied darkly, before resting his head back on the tree trunk and looking up.

"I don't want you to die." I said quietly, I hadn't expected him to hear me but he did.

"You'd be better off without me." he responded as he looked back over at me before crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"No I wouldn't. You've saved my life three times now." I replied slightly confused by his response, he must be acting weird from the blood loss.

"I only did it because it's my job." he replied gruffly as his eyes started to roll into the back of his head and I could tell that he was going to fall asleep soon, probably because he couldn't stay awake after losing as much blood as he did.

"So, that doesn't make me any less grateful." I replied as I moved towards the trunk of the tree, and sat on a thinner branch right next to him before pulling off my jacket and wrapping it around both of us.

"Thank you." he muttered softly before a few long moments of silence, and I sat there tensely wondering if he was alright until I heard him snore softly. I stayed awake for a while longer wondering why he'd been acting so strangely ever since he was bitten, it was logical that it was just the pain and the blood loss altering his personality; but something inside of me felt like there was something more. It was almost like something I didn't know about him, something he tried to keep hidden had almost shown itself. But even if that was the case he had the right to privacy, and I wasn't going to press him about it until he was doing better. I slowly let myself drift into a restless sleep as I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

"Corvo please. We have to keep moving." I pleaded as I tugged on his sleeve, and helped him stand once again. We'd been walking for a few hours and he was doing horribly. This morning when I woke and checked his bandages, I'd noticed how his skin was red and puffy around the bite and how his skin was feverishly warm. He'd told me it was an infection, and let me change out the makeshift bandage before he had clumsily, and painfully clambered down the tree. For the first hour or so he'd done fine, granted we were moving much slower than yesterday; but he had actually been able to walk on his own. But now he was to the point where he was leaning heavily on me as we made our way to Samara, and he was stumbling and falling down more often than not.

"Jessamine. You should leave me. At this rate we won't make it to Samara by nightfall." He grunted as we walked a bit further.

"No Corvo. I'm not leaving you." I growled angrily as I hefted his arm further over my shoulder so I could carry more of his weight for him. He was silent as we kept walking, and I knew deep down that he was right. He was holding us back horribly, but I couldn't imagine leaving him alone in the snow to die; especially not when it was my fault he was here in the first place. I wasn't about to let him die because of me.

"Jessamine…" Corvo breathed out weakly catching my attention immediately, "When you get to Samara, Charles house is in the city center...you can't miss it." he said weakly before he fell down again.

"Corvo." I growled as I tried to help him up again before I realized that he'd passed out. For a few moments I was terrified, now I had no choice but to leave him. If I left him he could die, but if I stayed he'd also die. I grabbed him by the underarms and started to drag him over to a pine tree just off the main road. He was incredibly heavy, and it was a struggle to pull him a few feet over to the tree and lay him back against it.

"I'm coming back for you." I said softly as I took off my coat and ignored the cold nipping at my skin as I laid it over him, if he was going to be laying in the icy snow for a few hours he'd be needing it more than me.

I started running down the trail, getting my blood flowing warmed me up despite not having my thick coat anymore. I ran until I was panting for air, then I slowed down long enough to catch my breath before running again. I'm not sure how long I kept going, alternating between running and walking until I could see the walls of the city, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I started running, ignoring the pain of my tired muscles begging me to stop; and ignoring the few townspeople who were outside watching me pass with curiosity. It felt like forever until I saw what had to be Charles house, it was more than twice the size of all the other houses I'd ran past. I ran up to his large front door before pounding on it as hard as I could.

It took a few moments before a maid opened the door slowly, only peeking her head outside. "Can I help you?" she asked distastefully as she looked me up and down.

"Prince Charles is expecting me. My name is Jessamine Kaldwin. I need to speak with him immediately." I said rushedly, as I pushed the door in and walked past her into the large houses foyer.

"Empress Jessamine Kaldwin?" the maid asked shocked as she closed the door behind me.

"Yes. Now I'm running out of time. Take me to Prince Charles immediately." I ordered, my voice more of a shout than I meant but it got her moving.

"Right this way your majesty." She said timidly, as she led me up a staircase and down a hallway before knocking softly on a door before entering. "Prince Charles. Lady Jessamine is here." she said as I followed her into the small room, it was an office and I looked over to see a gentleman who must have been in his fifty's sitting behind a large wooden desk. He looked up slowly before standing up.

"Lady Jessamine. I wasn't expecting you for a few more days." He said as he walked over, then he seemed to notice that something was wrong, "Is everything alright my lady?"

"No. I'm in desperate need of your help. My bodyguard is out in the forest on the side of the road between here and Yaro, he's badly injured and I fear he's dying. Please take a carriage and go get him, I implore you." I begged as I fell to his feet, something I'd seen commoners do when they were truly desperate for my fathers help.

"Stand up. You're a young Empress, you grovel for no one." Charles said as he bent down and took my hand, pulling me back to my feet, "The ice is too thick to travel by carriage. I'll take a horse and go for him myself, I can tell this bodyguard means quite a bit to you." Charles finished with a small nod.

"Thank you. Thank you." I replied gratefully as I pulled him into me with a hug, "May I go with you." I asked as I let go and stepped back.

"No. With all due respect you look horrible, you need to stay here. Bathe, eat, I'll return with your man before nightfall." Charles replied as he grabbed a thick coat off the back of his chair and shrugged it on with ease.

"But I promised I'd go back for him." I protested as I stopped him from leaving the office.

"And you're sending me. That's more that sufficient. When I return I'll have many questions for you young Empress." Charles told me sternly before giving me a small kiss on the cheek and turning to the maid, "Marylyn, see to it that the young Empress is bathed and fed, and get her some appropriate clothes." was all he said before he disappeared out the door.

"Come on my lady. It's time to get you cleaned up."

* * *

A FEW HOURS LATER

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when I got out of my hot bath, Marylyn had fed me some boar tarts and tea before finding me some thick warm Tyvian clothes and sending me in to bathe. But despite being warm and not starving anymore I was still worried. Worried because Charles hadn't returned with Corvo yet, and worried that Corvo might not still be alive. I dressed slowly before combing my wet hair and walking back downstairs. I had only just reached the first floor when the front doors flung open, Charles and a slightly younger man shuffled inside carrying Corvo between them.

"Dammit he weighs a ton! Lets lay him down Charles." the younger man yelled while Marylyn closed the door behind them. I followed them down a hallway and into the dining room, where they laid him down on the table a bit rougher than I'd have preferred.

"Is he alright?" I asked worriedly as Charles stood up and walked over to me, and the younger man quickly started unbuttoning his black and white coat.

"He's still alive." the younger man grunted as he pulled his coat off roughly. "Dammit these bodyguards and all their armor, no wonder why he weighed so much." he complained before he started to undo the buckles that held Corvo's armor together.

"Curtis here is the doctor is Samara, your bodyguard is in good hands." Charles told me as he walked up behind me and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"No…No…You can't make me." Corvo grumbled almost incoherently as Curtis pulled his armor off, and dropped it on the ground with a large thud.

"Corvo." I said softly as I reached out and grabbed his hand, he squeezed mine immediately and his grip remarkably strong. I drew in a breath as my fingers were squeezed uncomfortably.

"It's not a good idea to touch him my lady. He's hallucinating. What happened to him?" Curtis questioned me, as he pried Corvo's hand off of mine. I pulled away quickly and rubbed my throbbing fingers.

"A wolf bit him." I replied softly, as I watched Corvo shudder violently on the table.

"No…not her." Corvo mumbled quietly as Curtis ripped his shirt off. It was the first time I'd actually been able to see his bare chest in good lighting; and although last time all I'd really noticed was his well defined muscles, this time I noticed the scars that criss-crossed his arms and torso.

"How did wolves get past your entourage?" Curtis asked as he started to pull off the makeshift bandage.

"We didn't get one. We didn't exactly leave Yaro on good terms." I replied quietly, as I watched Curtis's troubled expression as he inspected the deep gashes in Corvo's calf.

"It's infected, it's bad but I've saved worse. When was the last time he ate a real meal? Was that sad excuse for a coat all he had on the trip from Yaro to here?" Curtis interrogated me as he opened a bag I hadn't noticed he'd brought in with him, and pulled out a large shallow bowl and some soap.

"That's the only coat he had…and I think the last time he ate was the day before yesterday, dinner." I replied quietly as I watched Curtis hand the bowl to Marylyn and request lukewarm water.

"Anyone but her…please…don't make me do this." Corvo grumbled as his head flayed from side to side.

"He probably passed out from the combination of hunger and exposure, more so that the infection itself. You're lucky he's still alive. He's freezing, we'll need to get him warmed up." Curtis said more to himself than anyone else as Marylyn set the bowl of water down. "Marylyn, can you bring me some broth?" he requested as he pulled a small washcloth out of his bag, and wetted it before rubbing the bar of soap on it vigorously and starting to pat away at Corvo's leg. Corvo groaned loudly before opening his eyes slowly, looking around disoriented.

"Jessamine?" he said weakly as his eyes rested on mine and he reached out, I stepped forward and took his hand. But he pulled me even closer before reaching up, and resting his hand on the side of my face, his fingers icy on my skin.

"Good…you're alive." he said as he traced my face with his fingers, as though trying to tell wether or not I was real. I stood there as I watched Curtis cleaning Corvo's wound, the red water dripping down onto the table.

"There's something I need to do…" Corvo trailed off as he tried to sit up before I pushed him back down.

"You need to stay still." I told him as I held him down on the table by his shoulders.

"I'm sorry Jessamine…I don't want to do this, but I have to follow orders…I have to…" Corvo said as he forced himself up with more strength than I could counter to push him back down.

"Charles, make him stay still." Curtis ordered and Charles walked over before forcing him to lay back down on the table. It hurt part of me to see Corvo like this, he wasn't the strong and steady man I knew right now, he was more delirious and weak than I'd ever thought he could be.

"Lady Jessamine. Make him drink that broth, and give him these. He's more compliant when he's unconscious." Curtis commanded as he puled two pills out of his bag, and laid them down next to the cup of broth that Marylyn had just set down next to him. I walked over and retrieved the cup and pills, before making my way back over to Corvo who seemed unconscious again.

"Corvo." I said softly as I patted the side of his face until he came back again.

"You're alive." Corvo muttered with a smile when he looked back at me, he had literally just said that. I couldn't help but worry how bad he was if he didn't remember a few moments ago.

"I need you to sit up and drink this for me ok?" I asked as he reached out to grab my arm, and Charles helped push him into a sitting position.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He said, his words slightly slurred as I dropped the pills in the warm broth and tilted the cup to his lips. He drank the broth with ease, not even realizing there were pills in it. Charles laid him back down on the table as Corvo looked over at me, seeming somehow more disoriented than before.

"I love you." Corvo whispered weakly as he looked up at the ceiling, and the flutter those small words sent through my chest surprised me. But he didn't know what he was saying, he couldn't...he was barely even conscious. I didn't know how to respond, so I remained silent as I watched his eyes slowly drift shut and he relaxed into sleep.

"I'll be able to take care of him on my own now. You two can leave." Curtis said nonchalantly as he rinsed Corvo's wounds thoroughly.

"Lady Jessamine, if you'll join me…" Charles trailed off as I looked over to see him extending a hand towards me. I took it and let him lead me out of the dining room, "We have much to discuss."

* * *

A/N: The story is finally starting to pick up! I've finally built enough to really get the plot rolling. Also, I incorporated a little something from the game in this chapter. On my third or so play-through of Dishonored I noticed that when you're in Corvo's prison cell there's some writing on the walls, and I started wondering: _hey, what if Corvo's the one that wrote that?_ And it seemed probable since the little scribbles were either really dark, or sort of profound if you thought about them enough. Anyways, the little quote was: a little fire that warms is better than a big fire that burns. So I was thinking about that quote in relation to the game, and I thought it might have eluded a bit to the high vs. low chaos endings. If you change as little as possible the world fixes itself, if you kill with reckless abandon the city destroys itself. Similarly, a little fire is safe and easy to control, but a big fire is dangerous and is much more likely to destroy everything around it. I know I'm a nerd lol. Anyways, if any of you have fan theories feel free to drop them by me! They may even find their way into the story.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:Aftermath

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER

* * *

I woke up slowly, my head was foggy and my leg was throbbing softly. I was too hot and too cold all at the same time. I opened my eyes to see a plain white ceiling above me, and looked around to see that I was in a small room that really only consisted of the small bed I was laying on. I pulled the blanket off my body and sat up, immediately noticing the Tyvian sleepwear someone must have put on me. The last thing I remembered was telling Jessamine to get to Samara and then everything just went black.

I looked down at my injured leg to see that it was wrapped with a lightweight fresh bandage, somebody was trying to heal me. Either Jessamine had somehow gotten me to Samara, or a random stranger with a good heart must have stumbled upon me. I stood up, wincing at the pain in my leg; I forced myself to ignore it as I hobbled over to the door before opening it. My head was dizzy and I was starving, how many days had I been out of it for? How many days had Jessamine been free from my supervision? What if I'd failed the Dukes mission for me? I probably should have killed her back in that tree when I was bleeding out, I'd considered it but I didn't actually follow through. I wasn't sure if it was because I knew I'd make it, or if it was because I couldn't bear the thought of killing her. I shook my head as I convinced myself it was the first reason. I was an assassin, I was capable of killing anyone.

The house I was in was huge, so it seemed most likely that Jessamine had managed to get me to Samara. I limped my way through the large house looking for signs of life, but nobody was around. Then I heard voices a little ways off, at least three or four different ones, predominately female. I limped over to the large double doors before pushing them open, it was harder for me to open them than it should have been and I worried over how I had managed to become so weak. Everyone fell silent as I burst into the room, almost falling over. I quickly evaluated my surroundings just browsing faces briefly until my eyes fell on Jessamine and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

"Corvo! You're awake!" She yelled happily, before running over to me and jumping into my unprepared arms. I grunted as I fell backwards, the air knocked out of me as she landed on top of me.

"Jessamine…I'm not strong enough for this right now." I grunted as she quickly stood up and brushed herself off. I struggled so stand up until a much older man walked over and offered me his hand, I took it and he helped pull me to my feet with ease.

"So you're the Corvo I've been hearing so much about…I doubt you remember me, you weren't quite all there the first time we met. I'm Prince Charles." the older man said as he started to walk back towards the table. "Come sit with my family, let's break bread together." He finished as he sat at the table with three young women around Jessamine's age.

I limped over to the empty seat next to Jessamine before sitting down, I couldn't help but notice how everyone was staring at me like I was some kind of attraction.

"These are my daughters, Kathleen, Annabelle and Portha." Charles told me as they waved at me, I was barely registering his words though; I was awake but I wasn't at full speed yet.

"I apologize if I'm being a bit blunt here…but aren't you a bit old for her?" I asked Charles as I pointed at Jessamine. They both burst into laughter immediately and I couldn't help but wonder what I was missing, Jessamine complained about the man who was eight years older than her…this man could be her father.

"If you believe that I accepted the Emperor's query for courtship out of anything more than politeness, you would be mistaken. My wife died a few years ago and I really have no desire to re-marry, however one does not just tell the Emperor no." Charles replied good naturedly as he sipped at the steaming cup in front of him.

"Ah…I see." I replied quietly as I stared at the table right below my hands.

"I see he's finally woken up! I was starting to get worried about you young man, if you'd slept for another day I'd have to declare you in a coma." I looked over to see a younger man with dark hair walk in and take a seat at the table across from me. I had no idea who this man was, or how he knew me so I choose to remain silent as stare at him curiously as I tried to remember anything about him. "Is he alright? He's spoken right?" The man asked everyone at the table as he looked around slightly worried.

"Corvo, this is mister Curtis. He's the doctor that saved your life." Jessamine said softly as she reached over and grabbed my hand in hers. Her skin was delightfully soft and warm but I pulled away like she shocked me, and stared down at her now empty hand before looking up at her confused face.

"That's quite uncomfortable Jessamine." I muttered darkly as I watched her smile sadly and pull her hand away from me, I didn't like hurting her feelings but I was an assassin. I couldn't have her fogging up my mind any more than she already was. "Thank you sir." I said as I looked over at Curtis who was eyeing us both speculatingly, "I wish there was a way I could repay you." I finished as I looked back down at the table, I felt oddly uncomfortable and I wasn't sure why.

"No need. Any friend of the young Empresses is a friend of mine." Curtis replied just before a woman walked in carrying a large tray of eggs and boar and set it down on the table.

"Marylyn, bring some broth and bread for Lord Attano will you?" Charles asked and the maid nodded before disappearing out of the room again. I watched with terse silence as everyone filled their plates and chatted quietly about the fresh snowfall last night, until finally the maid returned and dropped off a loaf of bread and a bowl of broth before disappearing once again. I tried my best to act civilized as I forced myself to eat slowly, I was starving and I couldn't even remember the last time I'd had any food.

"So Corvo…may I call you Corvo?" I looked up as one of Charles daughters spoke up, I believe her name was Annabelle.

"Certainly princess." I said before taking another bite, my head was beginning to clear up slowly as I filled my stomach. It didn't pass me by how the three of them giggled at my response, and I looked at Jessamine questioningly just to realize that she was still somewhat crestfallen from my harsh response earlier.

"So you're Serkonan?" Annabelle asked as she sipped her drink.

"I was born in Serkonos, and my mother hailed from there…so yes?" I replied slightly confused, before taking another long sip of the broth.

"Is there a misses Corvo?" a different girl spoke up before giggling, and I peeked over at Jessamine to see her staring at me with rapt attention. I spent too long looking her in the eye before responding, but I blamed it on my current state.

"No…And there never will be." I replied while looking at Jessamine, before turning to look back at the young girl who asked, "Men in my line of work don't have a very long life expectancy. I'd rather save a lovely woman the heartache." I finished and the room fell silent for a few moments.

"So you'd rather never love at all?" Charles asked me from the head of the table.

"A man such as myself doesn't deserve love." I replied, and I could tell immediately that everyone had noticed the self loathing in my voice.

"Really? From what Jessamine has told you're quite an honorable man, an Officer before this…" Charles replied as he quirked a brow.

"Honorable." I scoffed as I looked back down at my food, "I guess that's what they call it these days." I finished before downing the last of my broth. The rest of the meal was silent, I knew that it was my foul mood that spoiled it and I couldn't help but feel guilty. It wasn't long before the others had finished eating and left the room.

"Jessamine, would you like to take the day to reacquaint yourself with your bodyguard? I'm sure he has many questions." Charles asked as he stood up. I looked over at Jessamine, who looked back at me with an expression that was equal parts hurt and loathing.

"I think he'll be fine." She said coldly as she stood up and turned to walk towards Charles, I tried to ignore the small stab of pain that she sent through my chest.

"Jessamine." I said, my voice cracking from lack of being used. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me, I was torn between asking her to stay and spend the day with me and giving her my blessing to spend time with Charles. The two men in the room stared at me curiously as I struggled to decide what to say.

"Enjoy your day…however you choose to spend it." I finished, even though everything inside of me wanted to ask her to stay close to me. She nodded before turning away once again, following Charles out of the room. I looked over at Curtis who was staring at me as though I was a medical experiment.

"I need to change your bandages. Shall we go back to the room you've been put up in for the time being?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"Of course," I nodded before standing and wincing at the pain the movement sent through my leg, "whatever you need to do, you have my compliance." I finished as he stood and offered me his arm. "Thank you, but I'll be fine on my own." I replied a bit gruffly as I started to limp away.

"I know your kind. Too tough for your own good, often hiding more than you show." Curtis said as he followed me slowly through the hallways and back towards the small room I'd been put up in.

"Excuse me?" I asked, sounding much more aggressive than I felt at the current moment.

"I may seem like nothing more than a small town doctor, but I've seen a few things in my days. Anybody with that much self loathing has done something they truly regret." he paused as I glared at him, "I'm not going to pry. I'd just like to point out that your mindset is incredibly self destructive. You aren't going to move away from the past until you can forgive yourself for it." Curtis finished as he followed me into the small room, before pulling a small duffle bag out from under my bed.

"I didn't know you were a priest too." I replied gruffly as I let him grab my leg and pull it up onto the bed, causing me to lay on my back.

"Hardly." he scoffed as he started to undo the bandage on my leg, "just a man who decided to change his old ways." he finished, as he completely removed the bandage and began to inspect my leg. "She cares about you immensely." Curtis said as he retrieved a bowl from the corner of the room.

"What?" I asked, partially confused by his cryptic speech and the pain fogging my mind.

"The young Empress. I've seen many nobles throw away good men's lives like cheap currency, I've never seen a noble so concerned over a worker before. She stayed with you all night the first night, I came back the next morning to find her fast asleep on your chest. Every time I came back to check on you she was in here with you." He explained as he wiped at my injured leg with the damp cloth cleaning off the herbal poultice he'd applied. I was silent for a long while, taking in everything he'd told me.

"She's too fond of me for her own good. What she thinks she wants and what she needs are two entirely different things." I grunted as he put the bowl back and inspected my leg again.

"You're quite fond of her as well. Each time you woke up delirious you asked for her. And each time she came you either apologized for something that you didn't want to do, but had to do because of orders. Or you professed your love for her. When you struggled more than I could handle she'd kiss you, and you'd calm down almost immediately. A man doesn't smile from a kiss the way you smiled unless he cares quite deeply." Curtis told me as he rubbed some alcohol into my wounds, and I forced myself not to shrink away from the pain. I was shocked by his words, or more so that even in the state I had been in I was still concerned about following the Duke's orders. It was my job to kill her if it looked as though I was going to die and she'd live on before I got her to the Duke. It made me feel a bit better about my abilities as an assassin at the least. However, I'd also told her I loved her…multiple times apparently, and I had no idea how many times she'd kissed me, but I knew that was bad for the mission.

"Regardless of whatever happened while I was not all here, I do pride myself in maintaining a strictly professional relationship with Jessamine. As long as I'm fully coherent such activities do not transpire, she is my work. And I prefer to keep it that way, simple and easy." I replied gruffly as Curtis laid my leg back down, and packed his things away before tucking them under the bed.

"Trust me, I know. Men of your cut are typically the most honest and open when in that kind of state. Anyways, I'm going to let your wounds breathe for the remainder of the day, if you'd like to recover before you leave Tyvia I advise you to stay in bed until I return later tonight to wrap it again. With any luck I'll be able to stitch you up tomorrow." Curtis replied as he stood and made his way to the door before closing it behind him, and leaving me inside the dimly lit room.

I laid there for quite a while wondering how different my relationship with Jessamine would be now, lord only knew how many times I might have professed my love for her while I was out. I wasn't even sure what day it was or how long I'd been like than. Judging by her response to my reaction this morning it looked as though she'd taken what I said while I was out a bit to seriously. I sighed heavily before burying my face in the old pillow, and trying to convince myself that I felt nothing towards anyone, that I was just a man doing his job.

 _I am the best assassin in all of Serkonos, I'm just doing my job. I feel absolutely nothing towards the target, she is just another name to check off the list. I will carry out my orders at any cost. I am here to complete a mission that I have no conviction towards or against, I am simply doing a job._ I repeated over and over until I finally drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

THAT EVENING

* * *

"Corvo." I heard the voice from far off, but I tried to ignore it and stay in the warm bliss of nothing that I was currently in.

"Corvo wake up." it came again, more demanding this time. I grumbled in response as I tried to ignore whoever was trying to call me to reality.

"It's alright Charles, you can go. I'd like some privacy with him." the voice said slightly quieter, not speaking to me.

"Corvo. Wake up." The voice came again, much louder and sterner before someone started to shake me. I could tell by the size, and pressure of the hands on me that it was Jessamine, and I felt my annoyance rise a few more notches.

"Can I help you." I growled into the pillow as she stopped shaking me.

"What is wrong with you? Get up. We need to talk." she said, sounding legitimately angered. I growled into the pillow before turning around to look up at her. I glared at her silently until she decided to speak.

"Why are you being such a jerk?" she asked angrily, as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm always a jerk…I'm just not as good at hiding it when I'm in pain." I replied grumpily as I glared up at her.

"That's a lie." she bit back before staring at me scrutinizingly for a long while, "What are you hiding?" she questioned as she sat down at the foot of my small bed.

"I'm not hiding anything." I replied gruffly as I looked away from her.

"Yes you are Corvo. Tell me." she ordered sternly as I continued to stare at the floor, "I will wait here all day." she threatened after a few long moments of silence. I looked back up at her and stared her down as I ground my teeth together, I would never tell her what I was truly hiding. We sat there in silence for longer than I cared to try to count, before she sighed heavily, "Fine…" she grumbled as she stood up and walked toward the door.

"Jessamine wait…I'm sorry." I said almost pleadingly as she set her hand down on the doorknob.

"For what?" she asked as she turned back to face me once again.

"For hurting you over and over again. But you need to understand that having feelings for me is only going to cause you pain. You need to move on, because the only thing I know how to do is push people away." I confessed as I watched her face keenly, looking for any sign of emotion underneath but seeing none. "I want to be your friend…but I can't be your lover. I can't be what you want me to be…because it's not who I am." I finished slightly guiltily as I looked away briefly, before glancing back up at her.

"Do you even know who you are?" she asked softly as she stared me down with ease, "Because it seems to me that you fight with who you really are, to be who you think you need to be."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:Everyone Has Demons

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER

* * *

"Thank you, for your hospitality." I said before kissing Charles' cheek. He smiled warmly at me before responding.

"It was my pleasure young Empress." He replied with a nod, I glanced at the ship behind me; Corvo stood on the deck, holding onto the railing as he watched us attentively.

"I wouldn't be too hard on the lad. It's clear to see that he's wrestling with his fare share of demons. If you're patient he'll come around in due time…some of us are just more damaged than others." Charles said as he grasped my shoulder and gave me a reassuring shake. In the last few days Charles and I had grown incredibly close, he was like the non-judgmental father I wished I had. He let me tell him anything without judging it's moral value immediately. I'd told him everything about the relationship between Corvo and I, and he'd given me some much needed unbiased male insight; for which I could never repay him.

"I hope to see you again." I remarked with a small smile and a nod; before I turned and walked up the ramp, and onto the ship towards a tired and confused looking Corvo.

"It's a two day trip to Arran." Corvo stated softly as he held out his arm for me to take, before turning and limping his way toward the ladder that descended into the ships hull. He'd improved drastically in the last few days, but I doubted he'd be back to normal before we reached Serkonos.

"Good, that might just be enough time for me to get you to open up." I replied somewhat grudgingly as I made my way into the hull of the ship. I waited at the bottom of the ladder for Corvo to limp his way down.

"Jessamine…please just accept my friendship and leave it at that." he uttered tiredly as he led the way to the small private room we'd shared on the way to Tyvia.

"I have accepted it Corvo." I chided, as I followed him into the small room before closing the door behind us, "however friends talk to each other all the time." I finished as I sat down on my small bed.

"Fine. What would you like to talk about?" he huffed as he leaned against the wall, putting his weight on his good leg.

"Why are you so tired?" I asked softly, trying to be more friendly with him; but it was hard. No matter how I tried to forgive him, I seemed to have a grudge against him for always getting my hopes up for no reason.

"I'm tired of waking up from nightmares just to realize I live in one." he replied with a scoff as he glared at the ground.

"What does that mean?" I questioned, wondering how what was happening right now was the stuff of nightmares.

"Would you like to know why I constantly push you away?" He asked softly, changing the subject as he looked at me and starting limping over.

"Yes." I replied, my voice almost a whisper as he leaned over me and trailed his fingers down the side of my face.

"Because whenever I get to close to someone…whenever I let someone in. They get hurt, or die…or both. And I can't handle the pain of losing another person. It will break me." Corvo warned just before he righted himself and walked out of the room; leaving me alone to wonder what the meaning behind his words was. I could tell already that this was going to be a long two days.

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER

* * *

"Do you want to see my rock collection?" Edgar asked as he tugged on my sleeve. He had not been what I was expecting when I thought of a suitor, granted he was technically a chancellor…but he was also still a child, 12 years old to be exact. I glanced over at Corvo to see him hiding a smile by covering his mouth with his hand, and pretending to cough. We were still on slightly rocky terms with each other, but we were definitely friends once again. And Corvo's dry sense of humor had helped me get through last night without asking him to shoot me to save me from this misery.

"Sure…why not." I replied sightly bored, as I let him pull me through the hallways and towards his chambers. What had my father even been thinking to send me here to meet this child as a suitor. He asked me to sit on his bed as he pulled a large trunk out and hefted it onto the covers, before climbing up and sitting there with me.

"Mommy said you're here to see if we want to be boyfriend and girlfriend…" Edgar trailed off as he opened the case and started to pull rocks out. I heard Corvo chuckling from the corner, and peeked at him to see he was not even trying to hide how humorous he found the situation.

"Well…she's not exactly wrong." I stated as I tried to ignore Corvo, and took one of the smooth stones Edgar handed me before turning it over in my hands.

"What do boyfriends and girlfriends even do?" Edgar questioned as he continued to dig in his case, "Would we have to make out?" he asked innocently before looking up at me. Corvo broke into a loud fit of laughter, his rich deep laugh filling the room. Edgar looked over at him slightly confused until Corvo got ahold of himself.

"I had a little, tickle in my throat. My apologies." he said to Edgar who just nodded in response.

"We wouldn't **have** to do anything. We'd only do what we want." I replied lamely, as I focused on the plain smooth stone in my hands.

"I think I'd want to make out with you…you're pretty." Edgar confessed innocently, as he kept digging through his trunk. I peeked over at Corvo who was smiling broadly at the young man, he saw me looking at him and over-exaggeratedly winked at me; I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"Look. My daddy brought this one home for me…I don't know what it is, but its pretty." Edgar observed as he pulled a shiny black rock from his trunk and handed it to me. I turned it over in my hands, admiring how perfectly smooth it was until Corvo's voice cut through the silence.

"It's Serkonan lava rock…it's incredibly rare and sharp." he said as he walked over to Edgar who looked up at him curiously. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that Corvo was diverting Edgar's attention, and saving me from more awkward relationship questions. "It come's from one of Serkonos outlying volcanoes. I always have some on me." Corvo told the young chancellor before ruffling his hair playfully.

"Really? Show me!" Edgar exclaimed as he turned to face Corvo, forgetting me immediately; I couldn't help but feel some gratitude towards Corvo for distracting the young boy. Corvo pulled his sword from it's holster before handing it to Edgar carefully, and that's when I noticed the thin strip of the rock running down the broad sides of the blade, the metal forged around the stone.

"This is so cool! Where did you get it?" Edgar inquired as he struggled to lift it by the handle, shaking with effort; and part of me wondered how heavy it could be.

"It was my fathers…" Corvo trailed off glumly before looking down at the ground, and I wondered what he was re-living in his mind to change his mood so quickly.

"I want to meet your dad." Edgar remarked as he ran his small hands across the blade, clearly not noticing the change in Corvo's demeanor.

"You and me both pal…" Corvo replied sadly, and I picked up on the way his jaw muscles clenched that meant he was either troubled or annoyed. Had Corvo never met his father? I couldn't help but feel pity as I thought about a Corvo who was Edgar's age, touching his fathers old sword and wondering what kind of man he must have been.

"Why's the metal black?" Edgar asked curiously as Corvo took his sword back, holstering it with ease.

"They crush up the lava rock and forge it in with the metal. Supposedly, it makes it sharper." Corvo informed him as he pushed whatever bad memories had surfaced back where they came from.

"Is that true?" Edgar questioned his eyes wide as he looked at Corvo excitedly.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that it does it's job fine enough for me." Corvo replied with a shrug. I watched Edgar jump off the bed, and start swinging an imaginary sword through the air.

"You've killed people before!? Tell me! One day I wan't to be a great fighter, everyone will be scared to stand in my way! And if they do, I'll cut them down." he exclaimed as he continued his imaginary air battle. Corvo stopped Edgar with ease, placing his hand on the boys shoulder and crouching down until they were both the same height.

"Don't romanticize killing, it's not something to be proud of. Because every time you take someones life it leaves you with scars, scars you can't even see…but trust me, you can feel them alright. It weighs you down as a person, and there will be a day when you just want the torment to end; and then you'll realize that the only way to leave it behind, is by leaving this life. And I've seen some men kill themselves, just to stop feeling the constant guilt. And the others, well...they manage to find ways to punish themselves for their sins." Corvo warned as he stared into Edgar's eyes. And part of me was surprised to see him so open with the young boy, and I could tell by the tone of his own voice that he knew the exact pain he was warning of all too well.

"How do they punish themselves?" Edgar asked innocently, his voice small and scared as he stared into the much older mans eyes.

"By denying themselves everything that makes us human in the first place…family, compassion…" Corvo trailed off as he looked down at the ground before continuing, "love." he finished as he looked back up at Edgar. And that was the moment that I realized that Corvo was the second man, the man who punished himself for his sins. He didn't push me away because he didn't love me, he pushed me away because he felt he didn't deserve to. It made sense, it just wasn't a revelation I came to until he admitted it to someone who he didn't want to make the same mistakes in life.

"Edgar. It's time for your lessons." his mother said as she walked in the door and eyed Corvo warily for a moment until he stood up with some difficulty and Edgar ran over to her. "He'll be done in a few hours your majesty." she said to me before leaving with him in tow.

"Thank you madam." I replied as I placed the smooth black rock down on his bed and stood up as Corvo walked over to me. I stood in front of him staring him down for a few moments, and seeing in his eyes that he was a bit more vulnerable right now than he usually was.

"You're the second man….the man who punishes himself." I remarked as I tried to reach out and take his hand but he stepped back, out of my area of reach.

"I'm many things, most of which you are still highly unaware of."

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER

* * *

Our time in Arran had passed painstakingly slowly, and I was incredibly relieved to be on the carriage to Alba. Spending time with Chancellor Edgar had been like a play date, or perhaps babysitting; but I knew for certain that he wasn't going to be a man for quite a few more years. I looked over at Corvo to see him staring broodingly out the window; I knew I was bridging the gap between us slowly, and he'd gotten to the point where he finally stopped arguing with me every time I brought up that I had feelings towards him. Instead he usually just sighed heavily, before running a hand through his hair and staring uncomfortably at the floor or a wall.

He didn't even fight me when I pointed out that I knew he had feelings for me either, he would instead just stomp off to be alone for a while. He noticed me staring at him and looked over at me curiously, as though trying to tell what I was thinking about. I could always tell when he was trying to evaluate my emotions by the way he tilted his head ever so slightly.

"I'm tired of this suitor business." I sighed as I looked away from him and out the window. Tyvia had been nothing but pine forests and snow, Morely was apparently nothing but meadows and oak trees and constant rain.

"And why is that?" Corvo asked curiously.

"Becuase I know what it feels like to want to be with someone, and so far only one person has ever made me feel that way." I grumbled pointedly, as I looked back over at him to see him scowl and run a hand through his long hair, the typical thing he did when I made him uncomfortable. However now was just as good of a time as any other to bring this up, after all he couldn't stomp off to avoid answering my questions while in the carriage. "However…it dosen't look like he's going to stop punishing himself any time in the foreseeable future." I finished, my voice still snarky.

"Jessamine…what do you want from me?" he questioned, sounding miserable as he stared me down with eyes that couldn't even hide what he felt anymore.

"I want you to love me." I replied harshly, before he sighed and buried his face in his hands for a few moments.

"I already do." he growled as he pulled his hands away from his face and clutched the edge of his seat, his knuckles turning white.

"Then show me." I requested softly as I stood up and moved to sit next to him. He clenched his jaw and swallowed, as I cupped his chin and pulled him to face me before kissing his lips softly. I wasn't expecting him to grab me firmly by the soldiers and push me away from him; I opened my eyes to see his boring into mine, however he was clearly angered.

"Jessamine…do you remember the conversation we had when we were on the ship to Tyvia?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"Yes…" I replied timidly as he let go of my shoulders.

"So you remember that I told you that I am not the man for you. I meant that Jessamine, you can do much better than me…you deserve much better than me." He stated gruffly as he glared at the ground.

"Why do you get to be the one to pick what I deserve?" I questioned angrily as I crossed my arms.

"Because I actually know who I am, you only know what I want you to know." he warned bitingly, his whole body tense.

"Then stop hiding yourself from me! Show me who you really are!" I argued as I stared into his deep brown eyes.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to…" he replied almost sadly as he looked away.

"You could, you just tell yourself you can't. But that dosen't matter because do you remember what you agreed to back on that ship?" I questioned, causing him to look back up at me, "You agreed that as long as I met with all of my suitors, and I felt like they weren't right for me you'd let me have to opportunity to pick you. Well the last three suitors weren't husband material, do you think the next two are really going to do better than the last ones?" I asked and noticed the look of conceding in his eyes when I brought up our agreement.

"I think I'll worry about that when the time comes, however you are correct. We did have an agreement. So if you want it to remain standing, I would suggest you hold up your end of the deal and give the other two at least an unbiased opportunity to win your favor. In the meantime, if you could stop constantly berating me with your emotions it would help me decipher what's going on in the mess that is my own mind." He replied darkly as he stared me down intimidatingly.

"Fine. I won't bring it up again, not until Dunwall." I stated simply.

"Thank you." he muttered grudgingly as he stared out the window. We sat there in uncomfortable silence for a long while until we pulled up to the gates of Alba, and I saw who must be Augustus waiting with his own carriage and looking incredibly flamboyant. He threw an arm around his driver and kissed his cheek before waving at me.

"Perfect." Corvo growled as he stood up as much as he could in the small carriage.

"What is it?" I asked innocently as the carriage drew to a halt.

"I've run into his kind before…let's just say chances are I'll wind up being more courted than you will be in the next few days." he grumbled before sighing heavily.

I didn't know what he meant until I got out of the carriage and Augustus greeted me happily, but I noticed how he faltered and stared at Corvo as he clambered out of the carriage behind me.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Complications

* * *

"Oooo. And who is this fine man?" Augustus asked Jessamine as he pushed her out of the way, and walked forward to grab me in an over enthusiastic hug. I stood frozen as he held me in his arms and rested his chin on top of my head.

"That's my bodyguard, Lord Corvo Attano." She replied before giggling, and I managed to glare at her out of the corner of my eye.

"A Lord? How lovely. We're going to get so close in these next few days." Augustus purred as he kissed me on the cheek before taking my hand in his, and pulling me towards his carriage with him, seeming to forget all about Jessamine. I groaned inwardly as I realized I'd been right when I'd thought he looked homosexual; most men I'd met who were like that had been much more subtle, however his position of power probably granted him the ability to be a bit more open than others. I helped Jessamine into the carriage before closing the door behind her.

"So tell me all about yourself Lord bodyguard." Augustus ordered as he pulled me down next to him, and Jessamine chuckled as she sat on the other side of the carriage.

"I'm not exactly interesting…however, Jessamine just happens to be a book bursting with pages." I replied as I tried to ignore the hand Augustus rested on my thigh.

"Corvo isn't a very talkative person." Jessamine chimed in, as she seemed to realize that I was incredibly uncomfortable in my current situation.

"Oh that's fine…I love the strong silent type." he admonished as he squeezed my bicep causing another bought of uncomfortable feelings swirling inside me. "Oh…he's really strong isn't he?"

"You should see him shirtless. Just all skin and muscles." Jessamine whispered before winking at him. _Jessamine…don't encourage him._ I growled inwardly.

"Oh girl…we're gonna be best friends." Augustus laughed as he playfully slapped her knee, "And you mister…well it's a good thing that Lords have to obey orders from Chancellors…" he whispered as he dragged a finger down the side of my face and jawline and I couldn't help but swallow nervously.

"Umm…Augustus. I'm sorry, but he's mine." Jessamine jumped in seeming to sense how truly unbearable this was becoming for me.

"Oh…Oh no! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to steal your man from you. Silly me." He chuckled as he pulled his hands away from me and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Go on. Go kiss your lovely lady! I'm such a sucker for romance." Augustus prompted as he smacked my arm lightly, and I looked from him to Jessamine slightly stunned, but she just sat there with a triumphant smile on her face. And that's when I realized that I had the choice of either ruining the professional relationship I'd just gotten set up between us, or being sexualized by the chancellor for the next three days.

I growled under my breath as I stood, hunched in the carriage as I moved to the other side to sit next to Jessamine, I looked down at her hesitantly but she just looked back up at me expectantly. As I sat next to her I looked over at Augustus as I wondered if he was seriously wanting me to kiss her.

"Well go on. I'm waiting." He urged as he rested his chin in his hands and leaned forward to watch us keenly. I'd wanted free reign to do exactly what he wanted for the longest time, but I knew doing so would just make her more reluctant to be alone with the Duke and that it would risk clouding my currently work oriented mind. I groaned inwardly as I leaned over and looked her in the eyes for a moment before running a hand up under her jaw, scissoring my fingers around her ear before burying them partially in her hair. Half of my hand rested on her neck and the other half on her cheek, her skin was incredibly smooth under mine and I could feel her pule with ease…the pulse that I should have stopped once already.

I wrapped my free arm around her shoulders before leaning down slowly, and tilting my head just a bit before letting my lips land on hers gently. The second our lips touched she grabbed the lapels of my coat and pulled herself closer to me. I forced myself not to moan as she ran a hand under my coat and armor, and up my neck and across the stubble on my jaw; I never let anyone touch me there on account that it was easily the most vulnerable spot on anyone, however even the slightest touch of her hand in that vulnerable place was more erotic than having sex with half the whores I'd slept with. I pulled away from the kiss just long enough to catch my breath before pressing our lips together once again, part of me was begging for her to touch me like that again; it was strangely erotic and liberating to want to trust her with my life enough to let her touch me in all my most vulnerable spots. The other part was trying to remind myself what a bad idea this was. I pulled away slowly, looking into her eyes to see her staring back up at me with lust and need that she'd literally just made me feel.

"Oh you two are too precious! You make a beautiful couple. You're one lucky lady." Augustus spoke up and I tensed immediately. I had forgotten he was in the carriage with me and I hadn't even realized how much I'd relaxed during the kiss until his voice made me tense again. Jessamine didn't reply, instead she just kept staring into my eyes as her hand remained on my jaw.

"You two aren't going to go at each other right now are you?" Augustus asked sounding more curious that anything, and I forced myself to push Jessamine away even though everything inside of me just wanted more of her.

"No. We aren't." I replied gruffly as I looked back over at the taller yet much more twigish man.

"So how did you manage to win this pretty little things heart?" Augustus asked as he slapped my knee.

"I have no clue…I'm more of an asshole than anything else." I admitted as I looked over at Jessamine to see that she was still just as flustered as I was from the kiss. Augustus laughed as the carriage stopped and he got out with ease, as Jessamine stood up I stopped her by grabbing a hold of her hand. "What just happened in no way negates the fact that we both agreed to hold up our ends of the agreement." I said more breathless than I realized I still was.

"Oh I'll hold up my end just fine."

* * *

FOUR DAYS LATER

* * *

The last few days had passed terribly slow and I was so relieved to set foot on the ship once again. On the bright side Augustus had his medic remove the stitches in my leg and I was pretty well back at one hundred percent, on the downside…even after Jessamine told him I was hers he still had a problem with touching me, and flirting with me and trying his hardest to get me undressed. I rememberedly sourly when he'd tried to convince Jessamine that I wouldn't be having an affair unless I was sleeping with a different woman, and that she should consider letting him borrow me.

"You be safe! And feel free to come visit anytime! Oh but if you do, make sure you bring him along with you." I heard Augustus tell Jessamine as I glanced behind me to see him hugging her tightly.

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind." Jessamine chuckled as he released her and she started to walk up onto the dock with me. She stood next to me as we held onto the rail and the ship began to pull away from the dock.

"Oh and Corvo! If it doesn't work out between you two…I call dibs!" Augustus yelled and I forced myself to wave and try to smile but it turned out as more of a grimace. I tried to ignore Jessamines melodic laugh as the ship drifted away and Augustus got inside his carriage.

"He has dibs." Jessamine joked as she nudged my arm playfully.

"I have never been so relieved to get away from another man before." I grumbled as I buried my face in my hands before looking over at her.

"I think you two would be cute together." She taunted with a wink before she turned to walk away.

"I hate to break it to you, but as long as I'm still kicking that will never happen." I objected as I followed her to the ladder she was descending, into the hull of the ship.

"Oh but he's so fond of you!" she exclaimed as I climbed down the ladder after her, the slight pain in my leg only a reminder of what had happened back on Tyvia more than anything. "And just imagine, you could adopt some children since you wouldn't be able to have some of your own." She continued as she made her way to the small cabin we'd spent so much time in over the last few weeks.

"That's a lovely thought and all, maybe I'll consider it when you marry young chancellor Edgar." I replied snarkily as I followed her into the small cabin closing the door behind us.

"I don't think that's going to happen." She retorted as she turned to face me.

"But why not? He seems like a nice enough kid." I joked as she stood there clearly eyeing me up.

"Exactly, a kid." She sneered as she looked me in the eye once again.

"He'll grow up eventually." I defended as she took a step towards me, and I took a step back until I was pressed against the closed door.

"Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe Augustus isn't the only one who likes the strong silent type?" she asked sexily as she closed the distance between us and ran a hand down the length my arm. I stood there for a moment as I remembered all the times Augustus basically ordered us to kiss, the feeling of her lips on mine was definitely going to be forever burned into my mind until the day I died.

"Jessamine. You still have one suitor left, I'm not eligible until we get back to Dunwall." I replied gruffly as I told myself to push her away from me, but for some reason I couldn't seem to follow through even when she dipped her hands under my coat and started to push it off my shoulders.

"I know. But I'm not worried, I doubt this last suitor will be the life changing man I need to help me run my empire." she informed me softly as she continued to push my coat from my shoulders until it fell in a heap on the floor, "Besides…we have five days on this ship until we reach Serkonos. I think that will give you plenty of time to reconsider wether or not you actually want our agreement to stand." she finished before leaning in and planting a quick kiss on my cheek before walking off to lay on her bed, digging through her bag until she pulled out a book.

I stood there speechless for a few moments as I realized that I couldn't even tell myself I didn't love her anymore, I knew I loved her but I knew regardless of my feelings I had to do the job I'd come to do in the first place. I picked my coat up and shrugged it back on before leaving the small room, I needed some space. I made my way to the deck of the ship as I thought about what a mess I was…I was an assassin who was in love with his target. You couldn't get much sloppier than that.

"You're not already tired of the ship are you?" I looked over to see the captain walking over to me.

"Oh, no sir. Just incredibly confused with how complex simple things seem to be lately." I replied somewhat cryptically as he stood next to me.

"Well that tends to happen whenever royals are added to any affair." the captain said and I chuckled softly, "It's Corvo right?" the captain asked as he held out his hand for me to shake, and that's when I realized we'd never been formally introduced to each other.

"Yes sir." I replied as I gave his hand a quick shake before looking back out at the ocean.

"Name's Farley." he introduced himself as he turned to stare out at the ocean with me.

"Well then Farley, it's a pleasure to finally be properly introduced to you."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, I'm just trying to fill in the gaps until they get to Serkonos basically (Which should be the chapter after the next one). Also, the only reason I made Augustus so stereotypical was because I was thinking he might be able to provide a sliver of comic relief. And for anyone who didn't pick it up from the game, Farley is Admiral Havelock's first name; I know they technically meet for the first time in the game but this is an AU anyways, so why not shake things up!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Forgotten Warnings

* * *

FOUR DAYS LATER

* * *

The storm had been raging for hours, we were only a day away from Serkonos and we didn't even know if we'd make it now. Captain Havelock held a public meeting where he warned how incredibly dangerous the storm would be, it was causing some waves that could entirely capsize the ship. I shrunk further into the corner of my cabin as I heard another large clap of lightning outside, I wished Corvo was here with me but the Captain requested his assistance, saying he needed all the man power he could get to secure the highly explosive whale oil firmly in place. I focused on my breathing as I tried to calm down and pulled my blanket tighter around myself.

The storm reminded me of the night I lost my mother, there was a horrible storm on that night as well and I remembered how I cried over her for hours until my father pulled me away from her cold body. Another clap of thunder hit and I hid myself entirely under the blanket in my safe little corner, I didn't want to die…especially not alone on a cargo ship.

"Jessamine?" I heard Corvo's voice break the silence, he sounded scared of something. I poked my head out of the blankets to see him closing the door behind him. He saw me and walked over with ease as I buried my head back under the blanket again, "There you are." He noted as he closed the distance between us. "What are you doing?" he inquired softly as he pulled the blanket off my head and I glanced up to see him crouched in front of me.

"I'm scared Corvo." I breathed softly as I looked up into his big brown eyes.

"There's no reason to be scared…Come on." he started as he tried to grab me, but I squirmed out of his arms with a little bit of a struggle.

"Please just let me stay here." I pleaded as he paused his attempts to try to pick me up. He was silent for a long while as he stared into my eyes, and I couldn't help but feel exposed under his gaze; finally he moved though, and tried to push me out of the corner.

"If you refuse to move then you better at least make room for me to join you." he grunted as I struggled against his attempts to move me over, I paused momentarily. Just long enough for him to pull me out of the corner and steal it from me. Another clap of thunder sent me scrambling into his lap where I curled up into a ball, he slowly draped his arms across me letting me curl into his chest. I didn't realize he was still wearing his amor until I felt how hard his chest was against me.

"Why are you scared?" he asked softly as he stroked my hair lazily with one of his hands.

"Lot's of reasons…" I muttered softly as I cringed as the thunder clapped again.

"Like what?" he questioned gently as he rubbed small circles in my back.

"I was worried I wasn't going to see you again." I replied softly as I pulled the blanket tighter around the both of us.

"Well I'm right here aren't I?" he asked his voice still gentle.

"Are you going to sleep with your armor on?" I changed the subject.

"I'd prefer not to, but I can't take it off with you on me." Corvo chuckled. I took a deep breath before scooting off of him and watching as he removed his coat, then his pistol and sword belt, and finally his thick armor tossing them all aside. He was smoothing out his shirt when another clap of thunder struck and I quickly scooted back into him and wrapped the blanket tight around myself. He was much more comfortable to curl up on without his armor on, he was actually warm and had a little give to him.

"What else are you scared of?" he asked softly as he rested his chin on the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me with ease.

"I don't want to die…" I whispered quietly, and Corvo remained silent after my small admission. We we're both quiet for a long time after that and I listened to the sound of the angry waves crashing against the hull of the ship and the sound of the thunder clapping all to frequently for my liking. "I lost my mom in a bad storm like this one…she died in childbirth though, not on a boat." I whispered softly as I curled deeper into Corvo's chest.

"I'm sorry Jessamine." Corvo said sadly, and if the sound of thunder hadn't erupted through the room I would've been sure I'd heard his voice crack. We both fell silent again after that, and I let the warmth of the blanket on top of me and the man under me lull me into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Jessamine Kaldwin…the future Empress." I looked around as I tried to locate the mysterious voice that was surrounding me, I was back in my chambers at Dunwall but something felt wrong.

"Where are you?" I yelled at the walls before they chuckled almost eerile.

"Everywhere." the voice replied from directly behind me and I tried to ignore the goosebumps I felt as I turned to face it. He was a young slender man, with short cropped hair and black eyes, blacker than the night itself.

"So you are the girl who dreams of revolutionizing the great capital of the isles, the girl who would have the power to accomplish her dreams…if only she was not so foolish." the tall man remarked as he hovered in front of me.

"I'm not foolish." I defended angrily as I scrutinized the large slender man, he was enigmatic and I found it unnerving.

"You are not quite as interesting as your bodyguard but you are still of interest to me, what do you posses that makes him want to change his ways so much?" he inquired as he paused for a moment as though mulling over his thoughts.

"I'm not foolish." I ground out through my teeth once again, whoever this man was he was an ass; and I wasn't going to take any of his crap.

"So you say, but in the days to come I am certain you will come to find that you are in fact quite foolish. You make it so incredibly easy for your enemies to tear it all away from you. Perhaps that's why he's fond of you, you are ignorantly trusting." he started rambling again as he faded in and out, almost ghostlike. "Or perhaps it's that he finds your innocence quite refreshing, I know that I do." he continued his monologue as he started to drift in a circle around me, however I was unable to turn to watch him, "Or maybe it's because you see things in him he can't see himself, but you give the man hope." he finished from behind me, raising more goosebumps along my skin.

"Are you talking about Corvo?" I asked somewhat shakily, beginning to feel a trickle of fear grow inside me.

"You are so obvious, I can tell just by the way his name rolls of your tongue." the man chuckled as he slowly moved in front of me once again.

"You can tell what?" I questioned worriedly as he hovered incredibly close to me, his black eyes invading my soul.

"How deeply you love him, and just because he has saved your life a few times…you are quite easy to win over empress. However there's no need to fret, he loves you too. I am unsure of wether or not he loves you enough though…" the man trailed off grimly as I struggled to comprehend what he was saying.

"What are you saying?" I asked my voice growing smaller even though I was trying to yell, as the room filled with the sounds of gusting wind.

"I doubt he loves you enough to give everything up for you. It seems…improbable. Especially since he is such a logic driven man, logic would insist he carry out his mission and continue with his life. And you will be nothing more than a small blip in all of time." the strange man said as he began to fade away.

"Wait come back here." I tried to yell, but it only came out a whisper as he disappeared leaving nothing but smoke in his wake.

"However, if he does for some reason spare your life, you can rest assured that I will be watching you both very closely."

* * *

I bolted awake sitting up quickly and hitting my head against something hard.

"Ugh. Jessamine. What are doing?" I heard Corvo's voice from right in front of me, and as my eyes adjusted to the dark I could barely make out his figure as he held a hand against his head.

"Ow…" I murmered softly as I rubbed the tender spot on my head.

"Yea ow…I was just putting you in your bed…you didn't need to headbutt me." Corvo muttered defensively as I felt him tuck a blanket around me tightly.

"I'm sorry…I had a bad dream." I replied quietly as I laid back down on the mattress.

"It's alright. Go back to sleep." Corvo ordered as he started to walk away.

"Corvo?" I asked quietly and he stopped as he opened the door to leave the small cabin.

"Yes?" he questioned as he turned to face me and I realized that I had no idea what I had just dreamt about, I felt like it was important but I couldn't recall a second of it.

"Nevermind…I can't remember."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:Denial

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

We were finally here; my home, Serkonos. My heart bloomed at the sight of the island and its sandy beaches; but just as quickly as the joy came it disappeared. This was the end of my mission, tomorrow I would betray Jessamine. I didn't want to betray her, we had just again become close after months of tension…but she was a job and I'd be damned if I was going to let my feelings interfere with my professionalism. I was the best in this business, I wasn't going to destroy my reputation over a pretty girl...even if I secretly loved her.

"Corvo!" Jessamine yelled as she ran over to me and grabbed the ships railing by my side, "You didn't tell me Serkonos was this beautiful! I love it! Will you take me to the beach!? Please!" She continued as she tugged on the sleeve of my coat.

"I'm sure that's something the Duke want's to do with you Jessamine. Remember you're here to spend time with each other." I reminded her, although taking her to the beach would be amazing. And I couldn't help but wonder momentarily about what it would feel like to hold her hand while walking along the shore, showing her the small tide pools and kissing her senseless in the sand.

"Ugh but Corvo, everyone I've met so far were just wastes of time! They're too old, or young, or mean, or attracted to you instead of me…" She mumbled grumpily as she looked up at me.

"Nobody's perfect Jessamine." I stated as I began to lose myself in her big blue eyes.

"I know nobody's perfect…" she trailed off as she gazed back out at the shore then she continued quietly, "but you're perfect for me." I thought I heard her wrong until she reached over and grabbed my free hand, her smooth skin warm against mine.

"Jessamine…you promised you'd wait until you were done with this voyage before you attempted to pursue anything with me. Please keep that promise." I said softly as I gave her hand a small squeeze before pulling away. I needed her to want to be alone with the Duke, otherwise my job would be ruined.

"I'm tired of waiting Corvo. I've already picked the man I want." She compelled, and I wanted her too. More than anything, but we could never have each other.

"If that's the case then you can have him when you return to Dunwall. Under the condition that you humor him and meet with your last suitor like the ones before." I replied as I watched the dock grow ever closer with each passing moment.

"Fine. I'll humor you. But I know I'm going to be wasting my time with the Duke." She grumbled and I almost sighed with relief, I just barely managed to pull that off.

"Corvo…why do you want me to meet another suitor when I already want you? I know you want me too…" she asked bringing it back up.

"Like I said to you once before, I'm not the man you think I am. You deserve a man that is husband material." I replied and she responded faster that I expected.

"You'll be husband material someday…" she trailed off as the dock came ever closer. We stood there in silence for a while. I thought about how I was going to pull this job off, Jessamine made me want everything I had ever denied myself, and on top of that she offered it all on a silver platter.

Finally the ship docked and I could see the Duke from where we stood, smiling down at us from the street. He nodded his respects to me before waving at Jessamine.

"He's even older than the Augustus was Corvo…I don't want him…" she complained with a smile on her face as she waved back.

"Humor me." was all I said before I walked down into the hull of the ship to gather our bags. When I climbed back on deck Jessamine was gone, I looked onto the dock to see the Duke clipping a necklace around her neck. I walked onto the dock and stood a polite distance away from the two.

"Thank you for the generous gift sir." Jessamine thanked him and gave a small curtsy.

"Of course my lady. After all, no expense can be spared on my future wife." he replied smoothly, "And please call me Theodanis, may I call you Jessamine?" He asked as she looked over at me, he followed her gaze noted my presence and then turned to her again.

"Of course." she replied happily.

"Well then, shall I take you to my humble mansion so you can get settled in before dinner?" He asked as he held out his hand, she took it and he led her down the street slowly; letting her admire the street vendors selling luxurious goods that I had never been wealthy enough to buy.

Along the way he bought her an elaborate seashell hair brooch, before pinning it in her hair. The walk to his mansion took about an hour, the whole time I watched them interact; he made her laugh and smile every opportunity he got, perhaps he would make it easy for her to want to go off with him alone. I certainly hoped he did for my own sake, I didn't want to have to break Jessamines heart again. Finally we made it to the Duke's mansion, and I followed them both in as I tried to mentally prepare for what would be the hardest day of my life.

* * *

A FEW HOURS LATER

* * *

"Corvo, you've done your job splendidly. And I ensure you, you will be rewarded like we discussed earlier. Tomorrow just after lunch is when I plan on making her mine, I'll send you away a few moments before that happens." the Duke informed me as he led me to my own room a few doors down from Jessamines temporary quarters.

"Sir, we do have a problem. The lady fancies me a great deal, I've had to deny her requests multiple times. I worry that she won't let me leave her alone in your presence." I notified him as we entered my temporary chambers.

"I shall fix that then. After dinner tonight I'll ensure you have a great surprise waiting for you in here, do you think she will come check on you before she goes to bed?" He asked me as we stood there discussing the job.

"I'll ensure she does." I replied, he nodded his respects before leaving my room.

I sat down on the large push bed in the massive room, I hated myself for what I was going to do to Jessamine tomorrow. Even though I wasn't the one personally hurting her, I would be the one abandoning her in her greatest time of need…and it killed a small part of me to know that no matter how I wanted life to be different for both her and I, that I was just a small part in the play and I needed to stick to the script.

I sat in my chambers until the clock struck five, then I made my way to Jessamines chambers. When I walked inside she was wearing a beautiful blue skintight dress that showed her arms and legs. She let her glossy black hair flow down her back, the seashell brooch pinned in.

"Corvo! How do I look? I don't like the fashion on this island. It's beautiful but so hard to move." She complained as she pulled the hem of her skirt down further before looking up at me expectantly.

It took me a moment to respond, she was absolutely breathtaking, "You're too beautiful for words…" I trailed off as she walked toward me, before leaning up on her toes and kissing my cheek.

"I'm glad you think so." She whispered in my ear before pulling away, "Are you going to take me dinner?" She asked expectantly.

"Jessamine…" I trailed off for a moment as I rested my hands on her shoulders, "I can't wait any longer I thought I could but I can't." I leaned down and pulled her closer before kissing her fiercely, she responded eagerly tangling her hands in my hair. My pulse raced as I pushed her back against the wall, "Corvo…" she moaned breathlessly as I pulled away and began kissing my way down her neck; she made my body react like I was a teenager again, I could already feel myself getting harder.

"I need you to meet me in my room tonight after dinner…please Jessamine. I can't wait any longer…I need you tonight." I said my voice raspy with genuine desire. Then I kissed her again, pressing my hips against her lower torso ensuring that she felt my hard cock through her clothes.

"I'll be there…I promise…" she replied breathily, while I forced myself to pull away from her even though everything inside of me wanted to pin her on the bed and show her everything she'd been missing.

"Are you going to enjoy your dinner with the Duke? You seem very fond of him." I joked, my voice still raspy as I combed my fingers through my now mussed up hair.

"He's a very pleasant man, unfortunately for him my heart already belongs to another." she replied with a smile, still recovering from my onslaught. I wished desperately that I would actually be able to make love to her tonight, but I knew that whatever the Duke had set up for her to see in there would at the very least make her hate me yet again.

"That is unfortunate for him, regardless, we shan't keep him waiting any longer." I responded as I held out my arm for her to take. I walked her down the confusing halls until we reached the dining chambers, I opened the door and she stepped in. It was a small and intimate dinner for two, with candlelight and a singular violin player in the far corner.

"Jessamine. You are absolutely stunning as always." the Duke greeted her as he kissed the back of her had, I couldn't help but smirk a bit when I noticed that he didn't make her shiver the way I had when we first met.

"Thank you Theodanis. You're quite fetching yourself." She replied as he sat her across from him at the small table. I made my way into a shadowy corner behind Jessamine and stood there patiently for what must have been half an hour as they made small talk over dinner. After the meal was over and they continued to sit there chatting until the Duke spoke to me.

"Corvo! I hardly knew you were back there. I'm sure you're hungry, I had your dinner sent to your room as this was an occasion for two. If you'd like you can leave now, Jessamine will only be occupied with me for about ten minutes longer." He said charmingly, I looked to Jessamine for her approval to leave.

"I'm sure you're hungry, I'll be back soon." She responded so I excused myself with a polite nod and exited the dimly lit dining room.

I made my way back to my chambers dreading what I would find in there. I didn't want to hurt Jessamine again, but I would have to…not only tonight but tomorrow as well. I walked into my chambers to find a small plate of food, a few bottles of brandy and a very fetching whore in my room. Her heavily tanned skin, her long black hair and her deep brown eyes made her alluring; but she wasn't Jessamine, and even hardly clothed she didn't exactly get me going.

"Ahh…you must Corvo…" She purred as she walked toward me, her hips swaying over dramatically.

"They tell me you're a scary man…you don't look that scary to me…maybe you should show me…" she continued as she started undoing my coat quickly, before pushing it on the ground. I was not drunk enough for this, I pushed her aside for a moment while I hung my coat on the only chair in the room, and grabbed one of the bottles of brandy. I downed it in record time, and drank half of the second bottle as well. I knew as soon as the alcohol kicked in I wouldn't care about anything, the whore the Duke had provided was beautiful and I hadn't gotten laid in about two years. Well it looked as though that would be rectified tonight. I pulled off my breast and backplate and laid them down on the floor, then my white button up followed by my undershirt.

"Oooohh. I've never had the pleasure of being with a man as…enticing, as you." She purred as she walked me backwards until I was sitting in the chair. She straddled my hips and kissed all over my chest; the alcohol was beginning to kick in, I could feel it clouding my mind.

The whore got on her knees on the ground and started sucking on the skin just above the hem of my trousers, her hands working my thighs. I tangled one of my hands in her hair and dug my nails into her back with the other. And that's when I heard the door creak open slowly and I dimly remembered through the haze of the alcohol that I was about to break Jessamines heart all over again. I didn't want to hurt her feelings yet again, but I couldn't wipe the smirk off of my face as she walked in closing the door behind her quietly. Then she turned around and saw everything that was happening, and she looked both heartbroken and furious at the same time.

"You bastard. Get that filthy whore out of here right now." She growled, I had never seen her so mad before; she was literally shaking. The whore stopped what she was doing as stood up embarrassed.

"Should I leave?" She asked me softly.

"Of course not, you can stay sweetheart." I replied to her before looking over at Jessamine, she looked ready to kill.

"I said…get…out…" she growled again, she was actually a bit scary when she mad and I didn't blame the whore for hastily making her way out of the room.

"Oh, no need to be such a mood killer Jessie." I said, my words slightly slurring together from all of the alcohol. I was actually a good deal drunk and I wasn't thinking anything through. I stood up and staggered over to her.

"You are nothing but a filthy lying pig!" she yelled just before she slapped me hard. I would be lying if I said it didn't sting. "You drunk asshole." She growled as she turned around to storm off, I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back over a little too roughly.

"You ran off my entertainment for the night, you best be willing to take her place." I slurred as I pushed her on the bed before bracing myself on my hands and knees above her.

"Corvo…let…me…go." She ordered her voice shaking a little, I ignored her request as I sank further down on the bed until our chests were touching. "That was an order…" she trailed off, her voice small and timid. I stared her down for a few moments before I obliged and rolled over, letting her get up; I was many things, but I wasn't the kind of man who blatantly disrespects women. She walked out the door without another word, letting it slam behind her.


	13. Chapter 13

WARNING: This chapter may contain triggers for certain people. Also, it is partially NSFW.

* * *

Chapter 13: Betrayal

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

Corvo entered my room almost silently, only the soft thud of the doors closing alerted me to his presence. Even having him in the same room as me made my blood boil like last night; he had the nerve to kiss me senseless not two hours before trying to sleep with another woman, and a common whore at that. Then to top it all off, he made me fear that he was going to sleep with me without my consent...I was just relieved that he stopped the second time I told him to. I thought I knew him, but obviously I didn't; and I didn't want anything to do with him either. He wasn't going to hurt me again.

"You know I think the Duke might just have a chance yet, he's much more charming and sweet than the other brute I thought I cared for." I growled as I continued brushing my hair, watching Corvo behind me in the mirror.

"I think you're right. He seems to be more suitable husband material. However if memory serves, that brute tried to warn you many times that he wasn't the right man for you." He replied his voice flat and emotionless.

"I suppose I should have listened then," I stated as I put the brush down, stood and turned around to face him, "Rather than place my misguided trust in him and allow him to break my heart. Last night was the last time I will ever cry myself to sleep over him again." I growled, as I grabbed the dress the Duke had given me to wear to lunch with him, and stomped into the powder room ignoring Corvo's bewildered look.

I changed into the soft navy blue and white piece slowly, taking my time. I gave myself a good long look in the mirror before I decided to put my hair up today. If anything would make Corvo regret his actions it would be me looking absolutely stunning and unable to keep my hands off of the Duke.

I left the powder room and glanced at Corvo out of the corner of my eye to see that he did indeed have a staring problem. I tied my hair up in a messy but elegant bun and stood up to face him.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a lunch date with my future husband." I said dryly as I walked past Corvo, purposely bumping into him and pushing him slightly off balance.

He said nothing, but followed after me obediently as I made my way outside onto the patio where lunch was set up and the Duke was waiting for me alone. He smiled at me and nodded at Corvo before focusing his attention back to me.

"Jessamine, you grow more beautiful each day." He admonished as he arose and kissed my cheek.

"Why thank you Theodanis. You are by far the most ruggedly handsome man I've yet to set eyes on as well." A lie, in truth that man was Corvo...but Corvo did not deserve a sliver of my attention or affections.

Theodanis chuckled softly. "That's a lovely compliment. Thank you." he seated me at the small table before a taking a seat as well.

We made small talk about the island while we ate sausage and cheese on crackers, but even as I tried to focus all my attention on Theodanis my thoughts still drifted to Corvo. I could feel his eyes boring into my back, and honestly I just wanted him gone so I could enjoy myself with the Duke alone. Finally Theodanis had eaten his fill and he stood up taking my hand with him.

"May I show you the beach Jessamine? I know you will absolutely love it." He asked softly, his eyes boring into mine.

"Of course. However, I'd prefer if it was just me and you. Three is a crowd." I said pointedly at Corvo before turning to look at him. "You are excused Lord Attano. Go make yourself useful elsewhere." I ordered. It looked as though he was going to deny my request, but after a moment he nodded and walked off without a word. I watched his back disappear back into the mansion as the doors closed behind him.

"I have been waiting for some alone time with you for quite a long time." Theodanis whispered softly in my ear before leading me down a small stone path that led to a long dark tunnel.

"I apologize for him. He's very overprotective for no good cause. But let's not talk about him." I replied as he led me into the tunnel; it was dark and our footsteps echoed on the stone around us, thankfully I could see the bright light far down the tunnel that signaled it's end.

"Do you know what I enjoy about being a Duke, Jessamine?" Theodanis asked.

"I'd assume many things." I chuckled as the cool air in the tunnel gave me goosebumps.

"True. But my favorite thing is that I have a mansion full of servants at my bidding at all times. They do whatever I tell them to do regardless of how wrong or criminal it is. And they ignore it when I do something criminal as well." He declared, his voice growing slightly darker.

"Excuse me? Theodanis…I'm not quite sure what you're say—" I was cut off abruptly as he pushed me backwards against the cold stone, I was scared and I immediately began to regret telling Corvo to leave us...Corvo would never let anyone touch me without my permission.

"What I'm saying, is that none of them are going to come running when you start screaming." He chucked darkly before pinning my arms above me and kissing me suddenly; I instantly struggled against his tight grip instinctively but he was much stronger than me, and he only squeezed my wrists harder until I cried out from the crushing pain on my wrists. He took the opportunity of my open mouth to lean forward and press his lips against mine, before forcing his tongue inside my mouth like a fat sticky worm. His free hand roamed over my side blindly until he found my breast in the dark and squeezed roughly, sending more stabs of pain through my body and making me cry out once again. And that's when I realized that he was going to rape me, and nobody was going to stop him, and Corvo was to far away to hear me yell for him.

"No. Please stop…please." I begged desperately as he pulled away from the kiss before using his free hand to start to pull my dress off, undoing the back buttons with ease regardless of my struggling.

"Beg all you want. No one is going to help you." He whispered in my ear as he undid the last button and pushed one of the shoulder straps off, revealing my thin undershirt.

"Corvo!" I yelled as loud as I could, my voice echoing in the tunnel; I knew deep down he wouldn't hear me but it was worth a try. Theodanis burst into laughter as I yelled for Corvo a second time.

"Oh yes. You keep yelling for Corvo…" He mocked as he shoved his hand under my undershirt and grabbed my breast before pinching my nipple hard, more pain radiated through my body as I bit back another cry. He wasn't trying to be gentle or tender...he was trying to hurt me, and he was succeeding. "But Corvo isn't going to come. You want to know why?" He continued as he pushed the other shoulder strap off and repeated the whole process with my right breast, but this time I couldn't hold back the cry of pain. I started sobbing, the only thought in my mind that my first time making love would be with this foul horrible man; I wanted nothing to do with him, I just wanted him to leave me alone...I wanted him to stop hurting me.

"Corvo isn't going to come even if he hears you yelling, because Corvo doesn't work for you. He works for me, he has this whole time. I had him sent to Dunwall to make sure you were still going to be pure by the time you got to me. Why do you think he pushed you away all of those times, when he so clearly loves you?" he whispered in my ear as my sobbing became even more violent. "Shhh" he whispered against my lips before kissing me again, his tongue once again invading my mouth. I didn't realize I still had feelings for Corvo until Theodanis said that, and I processed that the Corvo I knew had just been a lie; and that's when I felt my heart truly shatter into pieces, along with my resolve. Theodanis guided me to the ground where he straddled my hips and broke away from the kiss.

I continued to sob as he ripped the skirt of my dress up my thigh, the sound of the fabric tearing and my sobs were the only sounds filling the tunnel. I didn't know what was happening when I felt Theodanis being pulled off of me, I was so confused and disoriented. Then I heard Corvo's voice fill the tunnel.

"Well at least you got one thing right…" I managed to push myself up into a sitting position against the side of the tunnel. I watched as Corvo lifted Theodanis completely off the ground and pinned him against the wall where I was just unwillingly pinned. "I do love her." he finished before landing a punch square on Theodanis's face.

"Corvo! We had an agreement!" Theodanis yelled as soon as he recovered from the punch. "You're whole job is to let me take her! Here and now!" he growled before Corvo landed another punch on his face.

"Well I'm renegotiating our contract." Corvo growled as I slowly stood up on shaking numb legs, and watched the scene in front of me. "You are not going to lay a finger on her ever again. If you so much as breathe in her direction, I will be there; and I will kill you without hesitation." Corvo growled as he punched Theodanis in the face again. I watched as Theodanis spit blood on the ground before speaking.

"You worthless street cur. She'll have you killed for conspiring with me about this in the first place. She won't pardon your life just because you saved her." He gurgled, he appeared to be on the edge of passing out.

"That doesn't matter to me. I wouldn't be able to pardon myself if I didn't save her from you." He growled before punching the Duke one last time, his head lolling to the side as he felt unconscious. Corvo dropped him letting him fall to the ground with a loud and heavy thud. I didn't realize I was still sobbing until Corvo turned around and walked toward me. I shrunk away instinctively, but he pulled me into his arms before I could protest or struggle against him. He held me close whispering small re-assurances to me, his breath warming my scalp. It wasn't until I caught a whiff of his familiar smell that I actually felt safe again; that sweet, earthy, salty smell brought me a strange feeling of calm and I managed to slow and quiet my sobs.

"Corvo?" I whimpered softly as I tilted my head to look at him. He looked down at me and wiped a few of the tears away with his thumb. This was the first time I had ever seen him as who he really was, not a bodyguard, not someone I was always mad at for pushing me away; but just a man who looked somehow more distraught than me.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered softly. I buried my face back in his chest, and forced myself to catch my breath and stop crying all the way.

"We need to leave Jessamine." He said softly as he let go of me, he took off his coat and wrapped it around my ripped and tattered dress before buttoning it up. It was much to big for me, and I suddenly felt small and helpless in comparison to him.

"The boat doesn't come until tomorrow at sundown…" I whispered softly as he checked how many bullets he had in his pistol.

"Do you trust me?" he asked quietly, his hands sandwiching my face gently.

"More than anyone…" I replied softly, I didn't know why I still trusted him. I had just found out that everything I knew about him was a lie. But I still felt like he was the same in a way.

"Then we need to leave now. Just follow me, and keep your head down." He ordered gently just before he kissed my forehead, and grabbed my hand leading me further into the tunnel and away from Theodanis. I let him lead me in silence as we exited the tunnel and followed the path towards the city. I listened to Corvo's advice and stared at the ground as we walked, even as voices and people filled the street ahead of us. When we stopped for a moment I dared to look up to see that Corvo was getting us some different clothes. The vendor seemed confused but sold him the plain tan and white clothes anyways. I watched as the coins and the small paper package the vendor wrapped the clothes in traded hands, then Corvo was pulling me down the street again.

I'm not sure how far we walked while I was in my daze, my jumbled thoughts floating around in no particular order. But mostly my mind was concerned with the fact that Corvo had been working for Theodanis the whole time...ever since the day I had met him; then he had turned around and picked my side instead of the one he was supposed to be on. I could hear his voice on repeat in my head, 'well you are right about one thing…I do love her'. Could he possibly mean that? Probably not.

Slowly the streets turned from stone to sand, but I kept following him with my head down. He pulled us behind a large outcropping of tall rock before turning to face me.

"We have to lose these clothes Jessamine. We're too identifiable in what we're wearing right now." He looked into my eyes making sure I was still with him.

"Ok." I said softly, he tore open the paper package and handed me the dress. He left me behind the rocks to change while he changed on the other side, he came back quickly carrying his armor, weapons and old clothes in a heap in his arms while I was still trying to get out of my messy torn dress.

"May I help you?" he asked as he dropped his things in the sand. I nodded my answer as he bent down to to help me; but I had somehow gotten myself even more tangled up in the mess, and he scowled before grabbing his small knife from inside his boot and pulling it out. I instinctively shrank away from him, but he looked up at me and cupped my face with his free hand.

"I will never hurt you Jessamine." He said softly before continuing, "Just stay still." He cautioned as he let go of my face and sliced through the dress with ease, he tossed the remains in the pile with his leftover clothes. I felt incredibly bare standing before him wearing nothing but my under clothes, and I was thankful that he didn't look over my body longingly the way he had been yesterday. Instead he immediately grabbed the new dress and helped me tug it on, it was a snug fit but I was past caring.

He dug a deep hole in the sand using his breastplate as a shovel, and pushed everything except for his weapons in it before covering it back up and smoothing it with his hands. He tucked his pistol away in his shirt so that I couldn't tell it was there, and he strapped his sword to his hip with the belt from his old uniform. He bent down in front of me again, and pushed a stray lock of hair from my face.

"We need to keep moving. We're still too close to town. Can you keep going?" He asked gently as he took my hands in his.

Once again I simply nodded my agreement. He stood up and I followed after him obediently, this time we walked closer to the ocean. He made us walk in the tide line so our footprints would be washed away. If the day had gone differently I would have loved doing exactly what we were doing at the moment, but my reality was far from a dream at the moment.

We walked until the sun was near setting, then Corvo pointed out the small palm tree dotted island that was connected to the beach by a large driftwood tree. He helped me cross the driftwood and get safely onto the other side, we made our way to the center of the island and he cleared out a decent sized patch of ground before speaking to me again.

"Are you hungry?" He asked softly, as he bent down to my level once again. I shook my head in response.

"Do you just want to go to sleep then?" He asked, I nodded before walking over the patch he had just cleared and laying down. I felt him lay down next to me, we were both silent as the sun set and darkness fell. As the temperature dropped I began to shiver in the cold air, the skimpy dresses that the Serkonans wore were far from warm. I felt Corvo wrap his arms around me and pull me close into him, his body heat warmed me up enough to finally drift into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N** : This is a repeat chapter of chapter 13, however this one is from Corvo's POV rather than Jessamine's. I normally don't do repeat chapters but I really wanted to continue the story from Jessamine's POV and I didn't want to mess up the changing POV's every chapter; also, it gave me the opportunity to add some more meat to Corvo's character and explain why he stood up for her and such. So if you don't want to waste your time reading the last chapter from Corvo's POV then I'd suggest waiting until tomorrow. I'm going to try to get the next chapter out tomorrow, but no guarantees now that I have a copy of No Man's Sky to distract me :}.

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Chapter 14: Disloyalty

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THE PREVIOUS DAY

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"May I show you the beach Jessamine? I know you will absolutely love it." The Duke asked Jessamine, pulling off a decent innocent look.

"Of course. However, I'd prefer if it was just me and you. Three is a crowd." Jessamine replied, pointed trying to insult me in some way. But I was far beyond insulting, I was numb. "You are excused Lord Attano. Go make yourself useful elsewhere." She ordered me briskly. The small part of me that was not completely dead on the inside considered telling her no, that she wasn't safe with him; but instead I just turned around and walked off. My job was basically done, and I absolutely hated myself for it...I had literally just delivered the woman I loved into the jaws of a wolf. As I walked into the mansion I paused for a moment and considered something I hadn't thought of before.

I didn't have to do this, nobody was forcing me to standby while he forced her into submission. I could still stop him, I could still save her. But if I did that I would never be able to show my face in Serkonos again, and I doubted that she would do anything more than order my beheading the moment she found out I was a traitor to her crown, a traitor and a murderer. I shook my head tiredly as I forced myself to ignore such thoughts, they were foolish. I started to make my way deeper into the mansion when I felt a deep pit of emptiness beginning to grow inside me, I was all to familiar with the feeling; a feeling only Jessamine had been able to quench. I paused once again as I felt my heart win out over my mind, and before I could fully comprehend what I was doing I was walking back outside to stop him from hurting my woman. When I heard her scream my name I ran towards the tunnel it was coming from and stopped just outside the entrance, listening to what was happening.

"Corvo isn't going to come even if he hears you yelling, because Corvo doesn't work for you. He works for me, he has this whole time. I had him sent to Dunwall to make sure you were still going to be pure by the time you got to me. Why do you think he pushed you away all of those times, when he so clearly loves you?" I heard the Duke say to Jessamine as she continued to sob. "Shhh." the Dukes voice came through the tunnel, just before Jessamines crying was cut off. I peeked around the corner to see him straddling her on the ground, I quietly made my way forward until I was just a few feet behind him. Jessamine was still crying as he ripped the skirt of her dress.

"Well at least you got one thing right…" I growled as I grabbed the Duke by the back of his coat, pulling him off of her before picking him up by the lapels on his coat and pinning him against the wall. "I do love her." I finished as I punched him in the face, rage flowing through me.

"Corvo! We had an agreement!" The Duke yelled at me as soon as he regained his wits, "You're whole job is to let me take her! Here and now!" he yelled just before I punched him again. Furious that he wanted to hurt her, furious with myself because I was going to let him.

"Well I'm renegotiating our contract. You are not going to lay a finger on her ever again. If you so much as breathe in her direction, I will be there; and I will kill you without hesitation." I replied my voice laden with wrath as I punched the Duke again. He took a moment to spit blood out of his mouth before speaking to me.

"You worthless street cur. She'll have you killed for conspiring with me about this in the first place. She won't pardon your life just because you saved her." the Duke struggled to say through the blood rapidly pooling inside his mouth once again. And he was right she probably would, but I would deserve it if she did.

"That doesn't matter to me. I wouldn't be able to pardon myself if I didn't save her from you." I snarled and I punched him one last time before his head rolled to the side as he fell unconscious. I let go of him and let his weight pull him to the ground. I could still hear Jessamine crying behind me, I turned around slowly and closed the distance between us in a single step. She immediately shrunk away like a scared, abused animal. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into me quickly, making sure she didn't get away in such a distraught state. I pulled her tight against my chest as I buried my face in her hair.

"It's alright, I'm here now. He won't touch you ever again. I'm going to keep you safe. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I love you." I whispered quietly to her even though I knew she couldn't hear me over her own crying.

"Corvo?" Jessamine said softly, her voice so small and fragile; she looked up at me and I saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. I wiped them away slowly with a small frown on my face. I hated myself for not stopping this before she got hurt, I was truly a monster to let this happen to her. I deserved whatever punishment she gave me when she finally came through and I got her back to Dunwall.

"I'm so sorry…" I said my voice barely a whisper for fear that it would crack, seeing her like this broke my heart in ways I never expected. She nuzzled back into my chest again, seeming to get some kind of comfort from it. I truly hoped I still comforted her. I stood there for a while, letting her recollect her mind but finally time pressured me into moving. I knew the Duke would send out a manhunt for the two of us as soon as he woke up, and time was not our ally. We had to leave the city, and fast.

"We need to leave Jessamine." I said as I let go of her, I quickly busied myself with taking off my jacket so that she could cover herself. As she pulled away she still seemed to be in a daze, I helped her shrug the coat on and buttoned it up on her; it draped on the ground with at least four or five inches of excess that I hoped she wouldn't trip on.

"The boat doesn't come until tomorrow at sundown…" She whispered as I checked to make sure my pistol was fully loaded, which it was.

"Do you trust me?" I asked trying to keep my voice gentle, as I reached down and rested my hands on the sides of her face, forcing her to look up at me.

"More than anyone…" she replied her voice still small and broken. That simple statement filled me with hope, did she really mean that? Did she really still trust me after everything she just found out. I hoped desperately that she meant it, part of me needed her to mean it.

"Then we need to leave now. Just follow me, and keep your head down." I instructed her before kissing her forehead and taking her hand, I turned and began to lead her through the tunnel as I wondered if she was alright. She followed me in silence as we exited the tunnel and followed a sandy path that led into the poorer side of the city, I glanced down at her multiple times to see that she was staring directly at the ground like her life depended on it…and in a way it did. As we entered the sandy vendor lined streets I quickly picked a clothes vendor out from the rest and made our way over there.

"Excuse me sir." I barked, immediately getting the vendors attention he looked over at me confused, clearly wondering what business I had with him. "I need two run of the mill outfits." I finished as he looked over at Jessamine questioningly, I was relieved when he didn't question us more than necessary though.

"Sizes?"

"Large." I answered for myself before glancing down at Jessamine, "Small." I guessed at her size and the man nodded before pulling some clothes out from under the stands counter and quickly wrapping the folded items in plain brown paper packaging.

"Eighty coins." The man stated simply as he held out the package towards me, I was immediately relived that I'd brought some money when we left Dunwall. I pulled a hundred piece from my pocket and gave it to him quickly before taking the package.

"Keep the change." I said briskly before turning and walking away, towing Jessamine along with me. As we walked I couldn't stop the guilt that was continuously nagging at me with every step, I was a bad person…I'd always known that I was a bad person but I'd never cared until now. I wanted to be better, I wanted to go back in time and stop so much from happening. I wished I could have stopped myself from getting drunk last night and being so ungentlemanly with Jessamine…I'd never been that unceremoniously brazen against a woman wishes before, and I regretted my actions. And I wished that I had stopped the Duke from ever laying his hands on her, she didn't deserve any of what had happened to her and I hated myself for ever speaking to him in the first place.

I broke out of my rambling thoughts as I saw a large, tall outcropping of rock nearby and I dragged Jessamine over to it. We needed to change and this would provide as good of cover as anything else we would find out here. I leaned down until I was on her level and spoke to Jessamine softly, "We have to lose these clothes Jessamine. We're too identifiable in what we're wearing right now." I looked into her eyes seeing that she was still clearly in shock from everything that'd just happened, and I worried how long I had until the shock wore off and she crumbled into a mess.

"Ok." She responded, and that was good enough for me. I immediately ripped open the small paper package and sorted out what was mine and what was hers. I handed her the dress and took my shirt and trousers to the other side of the rock outcropping to change quickly. I tore off my pistol and sword belt, followed by my breast and backplate, then my button up shirt and finally my undershirt before pulling on the Serkonan top I'd just acquired. I kicked off my boots and pulled off my trousers before stepping into the new ones and slipping my boots back on, re-adjusting the small knife I always kept in my boot so that it wouldn't poke at my flesh. I gathered all my belongings in a large heap in my arms before making my way back to Jessamine. I found her still trying to free herself from the tattered mess that was her dress, and I felt another wave of shame wash over me as I reminded myself that she wouldn't be in this predicament if I hadn't been such a horrid man.

"May I help you?" I asked her gently as I dropped my old clothes in a pile on the sand, I knew my presence was probably going to unnerve her; but time was not on our side and we really did need to be moving again. She nodded her consent as I bent down in front of her, I attempted to tug at the tattered mess for a few moments before scowling at the tangled mess. I reached down and pulled my small knife from my boot when I noticed how Jessamine shrank away from me fearfully and I felt even more self loathing form inside of me…all of this was my fault. I reached out with my free hand and laid it gently across her cheek, her porcelain skin soft under mine.

"I will never hurt you Jessamine." I told her softly, I hated that she was scared now, "Just stay still." I warned before reluctantly pulling my hand away from her face, I pulled the fabric a bit further away from her body before slicing through it with my knife. I tossed the sad remains of the clothing in the pile with my discarded clothes before reaching for the new dress; I forced myself not to let my gaze linger on her at all as I pulled the new dress over her head, and helped her tug it all the way on. I immediately directed my attention back at our old clothes, I needed to hide them. I did the only thing I could think of off the top of my head.

I grabbed my breastplate before shoveling some sand with it until I had a deep enough hole to hide our old things, I disposed of everything except for my weapons. I knew we wouldn't be coming back to retrieve anything. I quickly filled the rest of the hole with sand and smoothed it with my hands so as to make it look like the rest of the sand here. I stood as I picked up my pistol and tucked it in the small of my back between my skin and the hem of my trousers, then I strapped on the sword belt from my old uniform. I bent down in front of Jessamine once again before I brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"We need to keep moving. We're still too close to town. Can you keep going?" I asked her gently as I took her smaller hands in mine with ease; we needed to keep moving regardless, but with everything she'd been through she at least deserved the decency of being checked up on. She said nothing but nodded her agreement, I stood keeping hold of one of her hands as I led us closer to the waves. "Walk in the tide line…It'll wash away any footprints." I told Jessamine as small waves lapped at my leather boots.

As we made our way down the beach I began to lose myself to my thoughts once again, and I couldn't help but wish I had never spoken to the Duke to begin with. I wished I had never agreed to his wicked scheme, and I wished that I'd never gone to Dunwall and met Jessamine in the first place. If I'd never met her I wouldn't have broken her heart so many times, even when doing so killed a small part of me and only caused her undue pain. If I never met her, she wouldn't have become to attracted to me and she'd happily marry the first man who treated her right. If I never met her, the Duke never would have been able to lay a finger on her…or would he have just found another assassin to do the job I wouldn't? And if he did find another assassin I doubted that the one he did find would have spared Jessamine at all, not when the wolf attacked, not when Theodanis was attempting to defile her…and that assassin wouldn't hesitate to cut her down as the Duke ordered if she later rejected his offer of marriage after treating her so horribly.

And where would I be if I hadn't taken this job? Where would I be if I hadn't ever laid eyes on her perfection? The answer was blatantly obvious to me, I'd still be going on with my life as I always had. Spending my nights getting drunk in cheap and dangerous taverns, spending my days sleeping off hangovers and accepting offers from clients to kill other innocent people. Continuing to wonder what I was missing every time I felt the occasional pit of emptiness inside. I now knew what I had been missing all of those years, it was her I'd been missing…but I would still damn myself to my old life of violence and emptiness if it meant that she'd be better off in life. I didn't deserve the salvation she gave me, and she didn't deserve the damnation that came with saving me.

I noticed the small island nearby even through the thick haze of my thoughts, the sun was setting and we needed to stop; this would be as good of a place as any other. I squeezed Jessamines hand a bit tighter instantly gaining her attention, she looked up at me slowly her eyes giving away nothing of the state she was in. I pointed to the small island instead of saying anything, I doubted I would have been able to make a complete sentence without my voice cracking. She nodded her response, understanding what I was saying even when I wasn't using words. I noticed the thick, smooth driftwood log connecting the beach and the small island and I helped her up onto the log with ease. I let her walk the first few steps on her own until I watched as she almost lost her balance, I swept her into my arms with ease before she could get herself hurt.

I ignored the tightening feeling in my chest as she wrapped her arms around the back of my neck, and nuzzled her face into my chest just below my collarbone as I carried her the rest of the way across the log. I was reluctant to put her back down when we had safely crossed to the other side, but I did so anyway. When Jessamine was back on her feet once again I didn't take her hand, instead I made my way to the middle of the small island and set myself to work removing the larger stones and coconuts from a decent sized patch of the ground. I doubted Jessamine had ever had to sleep on the ground before; but it could be worse, and I doubted she'd complain in the state she was still in. I glanced behind me to see her leaning against a tree, gazing up at the sunset between the palm branches.

I made my way over to her with ease before leaning down slightly in front of her and gaining her attention before I asked her if she was hungry, a question she answered with the shake of her head. I doubted she truly wasn't hungry, most likely she just didn't realize she was but I didn't push the matter any further. "Do you just want to go to sleep then?" I questioned softly, and she nodded her head in agreement before taking her own leave to lay down in the small patch of ground I cleared. I watched her for a few short moments before pulling my pistol out from under my shirt and resting it on the ground, my sword belt following shortly after.

I laid down a respectful distance away from her. As I laid on my back I stared up at the last deep purple flickers of the sun fading away as the darkness of night began to envelop the sky. I worried about her, I knew she wasn't alright. And I also knew that she was the type of person who wouldn't want to talk openly about everything that happened; she was more the type to just tuck it away in the deep recesses of her mind, and hope that one day all of it would fade away. And I couldn't blame her, I never let myself dwell on the darker things in my life, well not until recently...all I'd been doing recently was dwelling. I didn't notice how dark it had become until I heard Jessamine shivering next to me, the temperature was dropping rapidly and I felt bad for her.

I remembered momentarily the trip from Yaro to Samara, and how she shared her warmth with me at every opportunity she had. It was that memory of her all to frequent kindness that gave me the courage to roll over and wrap my arms around her dainty frame, pulling her back tight against my chest; it was hardly appropriate but I knew she wouldn't complain from the added warmth. I laid there in silence as she stopped shivering, and I felt her breathing become slower and more even as she fell asleep. I stayed awake for much longer dwelling over all the wrong I'd done to Jessamine. Part of me hoped for her forgiveness…the other part knew I didn't deserve it and wanted to be punished for everything I'd done, at least that way I might reconcile some of my guilt. But finally even I drifted into a restless sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Confessions

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I woke slowly, a blur of tan and white and skin right in my face. I blinked a few times, adjusting my focus. Corvo…I was laying on the beach with Corvo. The prior day events rushed back to me like a tidal wave. Theodanis tried to rape me, and Corvo saved me. Corvo was supposed to be the bad guy, but he saved me anyway. With these memories came an unwanted wave of emotions, fear the most predominant among them all. I laid there in shock for a few moments trying to slow my breathing and relax as I told myself that Theodanis was nowhere nearby, and that Corvo wouldn't let him anywhere near me if he did somehow manage to find us.

But that thought brought up a completely different question that I also needed to address, could I trust Corvo? I wanted to trust him; he'd saved me from Hugh's blade, he'd saved me from a group of thugs, he'd saved me from a pack of wolves and he'd saved me from Theodanis even though I'm sure it damaged many aspects of his personal life. Something inside of me told me I could trust him, but that was exactly what got me in this situation to begin with. I should probably be mad at him, furious for infiltrating my city and trying to betray me; but I wasn't. If anything I was grateful. He'd saved me from so many things in the last few months, and in the end his loyalty did lie with me...the least I could give him was a chance to reconcile his past.

I tilted my head up to stare at him; he was fast asleep, and somehow he still looked troubled even while resting. And if my recollection of yesterday was correct he had said that he loved me, and for some reason that made me feel absolutely giddy inside. I was still certainly troubled and there were many things weighing heavily on my mind, but it was easy to push aside the bad memories when I was staring up at his face. I had never actually seen him sleep before, except for when he was out after being attacked on Tyvia; he always fell asleep after me and woke before me. I managed to free one of my arms from his grasp and push some of his hair out of his face. He grumbled softly as I trailed my fingers down his jaw, feeling the rough little hairs that he always kept shaven off. I had many questions for him today, but those could wait for a bit; for the time being I was content to just watch him sleep.

I pressed my head to his chest, without his heavy chest piece I could easily hear his heart beating and his even breathing. I'm not sure how long I laid there, listening to his inner workings while fully coming to the conclusion that I never once stopped liking Corvo at all; I had always liked him and that's why I was always so mean when he made me sad. I knew I was being stupid, putting much of my trust in him on the fact that I had undeniable feelings towards him; I should be wary of him, not cuddling up into his side like it was the most natural thing in the world. But I didn't want to stop...so I didn't. Slowly he came to, he yawned and moved his arms from around me so he could stretch.

"Please don't move. I liked it when you were holding me." I mused as he tried to get up.

"You're already awake?" He asked. I heard his voice rumble in his chest, it sounded so much warmer in there; I wished it sounded like that outside of his body too. "How long?" he questioned as he laid all the way back down and gently draped his arms around me again.

"I don't know." I replied, my ear still firmly pressed to his chest.

"Jessamine. Are you alright? Yesterday—I'm fine Corvo." I cut him off before he could continue and then I looked up at him, "But only because you saved me." I finished as I stared into his deep brown eyes. Was I really fine? With him here with me I felt alright; I wondered momentarily how much of my temporary strength I was pulling from the hope that things could go back to normal between the two of us.

"So, are you going to have me killed for betraying you?" He asked darkly as he looked at the ground.

"No." I replied simply as I returned my ear to his chest, the thought of having him killed revolted me. That would be no way to repay him for saving me when he could have just as easily finished out his deal with Theodanis. I didn't want to live in a world where I didn't have my constantly grumpy bodyguard keeping me in check.

"Then what…just tortured for the remainder of my hopefully short life." even when his voice was a few octaves lower than normal it still sounded warm inside his chest, the small discovery made me smile a bit.

"No." came the same response, I didn't want to cause this man any undue pain. Granted he hadn't always been a good guy; but he'd picked a side when he saved me, and I had no doubt that he'd live up to his full potential if I allowed him to remain in my good graces. "I mean, unless you count dealing with me for the rest of your life as torture. Royal Protector." I finished as I looked back up at him, he seemed genuinely surprised and suspicious at the same time.

"What did you just call me?" He asked incredulously.

"By your proper title. You're my Royal Protector now." I replied and tried to press my ear to his chest again, but he cupped my chin in his hand and pulled me back up to face him.

"Are you sure about that? Most rulers only name one Royal Protector throughout the duration of their life, you hardly know anything about me…perhaps you should take some more time to consider your decision." he cautioned, his brows knit together.

"I know that you're incredibly loyal and that you've risked your life for me four times now. I'm certain of my decision." I answered his question as I sat up; he followed my lead and sat up as well.

"Jessamine…are you sure you're alright? It's normal for a person to be shaken up after going through what you just went through." Corvo noted gently as he took my hand in his.

"I'm better. I'm still troubled…but it's not something I'm going to get over by dwelling on it…Besides, I have a lot of questions to ask you." I answered as I stared down at my hand in his. I remembered when he hardly ever touched me, now he hadn't let go ever since he woke up.

"You can ask me anything you want…I'll tell you the truth this time." He remarked sourly as he looked down at the ground.

"Corvo…" I watched him look back up at me slowly, "I'm thirsty…" I complained. He smiled broadly and chuckled before letting go of my hand; I watched him stand and walk over to one of the tall slender trees admiring the Serkonan clothes on him. They were tight and left his arms completely bare, and it was a lovely sight if I said so myself; yet almost out of nowhere the small nagging fear of what those muscular arms could do to me if they were trying to hurt me popped into my mind. I pushed the unwanted thought from my mind as I watched as he wrapped his hands around the trunk and gave the tree a good shake, causing three large brown blobs to fall into the sand. He picked them all up and came back over to me with them.

I took one when he offered it, it was extremely hard and I honestly had no idea what to do with it.

"Thank you." I said anyways, simply because it was polite. He didn't reply instead he just watched me turn it over and over in my hands as he sat across from me.

"What am I supposed to do with the tree rock Corvo?" I asked when I realized that no matter how I inspected it I would still have no clue what it's use was. He burst into laughter suddenly; it had been so long since I'd heard him laugh and the sound made me smile.

"It's not a tree rock, it's a coconut." He finally replied when he caught his breath; his smile lingering, making his eyes crinkle at the corners.

"That still doesn't answer my question." I replied as my stomach growled, he held out his hand and I relinquished the coconut to him. I watched him pull the small knife from his boot and it instantly made me remember yesterday… 'I will never hurt you Jessamine' the words rang in my head. I pushed the memory away as I watched him hold the coconut in place with one hand, before stabbing the small knife into it. He pulled the knife back out and handed it to me.

"There's water inside." he clarified as I took it from him. "When it's empty there's food inside too." He finished the thought as I took a small sip. It wasn't the kind of water I was used to, but I was thirsty and it would do. I ignored the little strings that were in it as I swallowed, after I drained the whole thing I handed it back to him.

"You were so polite to offer to share. Thank you." He stated sarcastically as he picked the knife back up, and wedged it back inside the hole.

"You didn't say anything!" I yelled as I playfully slapped his arm, he chuckled as I stopped after the third slap. I looked up at him and lost myself in his eyes for a few moments, I knew deep down that he was a good person...he'd just never let himself be anything other than what he felt he had to be to work under the Duke. I felt something warm stir inside me as he held eye contact for an intimate amount of time; I could begin to feel my stomach churn inside of me, and for a moment I wondered if I was going to be sick.

"Corvo…did you mean it when you said you loved me?" I asked timidly, as I waited for a response my stomach seemed to churn even more. He didn't answer my question, but instead looked down at the coconut and began to work the blade back and forth widening the gap.

"Corvo…" I said softly as I trailed my fingers down his jaw.

"It doesn't matter Jessamine. We couldn't be anything anyways." He replied as he broke the coconut in two halves.

"Yes we could. You're a Lord." I defended just before he shook his head softly and looked back up at me.

"I'm not a Lord, Jessamine. That was a lie." He responded as he handed me one of the coconut halves and his knife; I took them but let them rest in my lap.

"But you're Ephraim's nephew. You can't not be a Lord." I was legitimately confused by him at this point.

"Ephraim lied to you Jessamine. Theodanis bought him out, he was a critical part of the mission. We needed a way for me to get close enough to you, he was our way." Corvo replied dimly as he looked me in the eye, gauging my reaction.

"Ephraim knew what Theodanis wanted to do to me and he caved in for money…I thought he was my friend…" I whispered softly as I stared at the ground, tears welling in my eyes. My best friend...betrayed me for gold. I thought I could trust him and he betrayed me; it made me wonder if I could trust Corvo...or if the same misguided judgement was at work right now.

"Actually Jessamine…chances are he assumed that Theodanis had worse things in store for you than what he really did. Ephraim knew what I am, and he was still bought out…" Corvo told me as he stared at his half of the coconut as though it was the most interesting thing ever.

"Corvo…" I trailed off when he looked up at me, did I really want him to answer the question I was going to ask? Probably not, but I was going to ask anyway because I needed to know. I needed the truth this time around. It wasn't an option to be ignorant anymore, I needed to know everything. "What did you mean by that? What are you?" I asked softly, I was almost afraid that if I said the words too loud they'd somehow hurt me.

"I'm an assassin. I kill people for a living Jessamine…I get in without anyone noticing, kill my target, then get out before anyone notices they're dead." Corvo's voice sounded cold and emotionless while he answered, it sent a small shiver through me. The man I had fallen in love with was a murderer, and I had been his target. Mentally I scolded myself for trusting him so much, but still from somewhere inside of me something was telling me to give him another chance.

"You were supposed to kill me…" I whispered softly as I stared down at the sand, scared to look up and see what Corvo was thinking.

"Not exactly…" I looked back up at him as he said that; his expression was unreadable, which only added to my unrest. "That was never the primary objective; I was supposed to make sure I would be the only guard with you here on Serkonos, I was supposed to ensure that you kept your virtue until Theodanis got ahold of you, I was supposed to let Theodanis do what he pleased with you, and I was supposed to intimidate you into marrying him when he offered his hand to you after he'd finished using you…there were still circumstances that I was supposed to kill you in though…" Corvo explained, his expression still unreadable.

"What circumstances?" I asked my voice barely a whisper; another question I didn't want the answers to, but needed to know.

"There were three of those circumstances…if we found ourselves in a situation where it looked as though I might die and you would live…which did occur once…If after he finished defiling you, you refused his offer of marriage even after some very persuasive intimidation tactics...and if you were to escape him after he attempted to take your virginity but he didn't actually get to…which is exactly the situation we're in now…" he answered his brows knit together and he studied me. I stood up and walked a few meters away to brace myself on one of the palm trees as I tried to catch my breath, and I told myself to stop being so scared of Corvo…I hadn't been scared of him when I had woken up in his arms…I shouldn't be scared now. But I was, regardless of what I told myself. I didn't hear Corvo walk up behind me, and when he touched my arm gingerly I flinched away.

"Jessamine…look at me." He requested softly as he placed his hand back on my arm again; I knew he could feel me shaking as I turned around and looked up at him. He looked sad and concerned, and as he pulled me into his chest and held me close I felt conflictingly safe and in danger at the same time.

"Why are you scared?" he asked as I wrapped my arms around his back, pulling him tighter against me in an attempt to ward off the fear inside me.

"You're supposed to kill me right now…" I explained, my voice cracking. I hated being so weak.

"I'm not going to kill you." Corvo replied gently as he stroked my hair, "I couldn't bring myself to hurt you if my life depended on it." He finished as he kissed the top of my head.

"What's stopping you though?" I asked as I held him even tighter, "I have nothing to offer you that the Duke can't…" I trailed off as he rubbed small circles into my back.

"Well for starters," he pulled my face up until I was looking at him, "I'm your Royal Protector, and killing you would be a violation of my duties." he joked and smiled briefly before he realized that his attempts at lifting my spirits were in vain. "But in all reality, what's stopping me is the fact that I love you. And I'd never hurt you, because I want you trust me." He answered softly, just before he bent down to press his lips against mine gently. This kiss was so unlike the kisses we'd shared before, it was slow, gentle and tender; and it melted me to the core. His lips were searing hot on mine, his stubble scratched my chin and his hand rested softly on the side of my face while his other arm held me close. It was so easy to lose myself in the kiss...to lose myself in him; self preservation scolded me, but I hardly paid it any notice over the rough and fast thumping of my heart.

He licked the seam of my lips gently, as though asking permission for something. I parted my lips slowly because I had no idea what else to do, but it seemed to be exactly what he wanted because his tongue slowly entered my mouth and began to massage mine. I felt another wave of warmth build inside me as I tried my best to mimic his movements even though I knew I was sloppy compared to him. It seemed like it was ending to soon as his tongue retreated and he pulled away from my lips. He rested his forehead against mine, the tips of our noses touching as he drew in a long breath.

"You can trust me. I promise." He whispered, as he pulled away to look at me before smiling softly. I knew I probably looked like a mess, I was panting from the kiss and I could still feel the blush in my cheeks and he stood there looking the same as always; I wished he was easier to read. It took a moment for my mind to register that he was asking me to offer him my trust once again, and it was in that moment that I realized that I had never once stopped trusting him in at least some small way.

"I do trust you." I replied breathlessly as he let go of his hold on me, and I forced myself to let go of him. He opened his mouth to say something but my stomach growled loudly before he could speak, he chuckled softly before taking my hand and leading me back to where we sat earlier. I sat down before him and handed him my half of the coconut as he sat down, "I don't know what to do with it. I've never had one before." I said shyly, embarrassed from the kiss.

"Whatever would you do without me?" Corvo joked as he took the knife and sliced out a chunk of the white rind on the inside, then handed it to me. I took it and gave it a sniff as he cut another fleshy white chunk out of the coconut. It smelt just like the fruity smell that was mingled in with the way Corvo smelt and it made me feel safer somehow. I chewed it slowly, it wasn't bad; it was just bland and nutty with a hint of sweet. We sat there for a while in silence, eating what I supposed was our breakfast. However the silence provided my mind time to wander into places that I didn't want it going at the moment, and I felt all the feelings I'd managed to keep at bay rise inside me once again as I re-lived the previous days events in my mind.

"There's something I still want to show you while it's low tide." Corvo stated as he stood up, he offered his hand pulling me from my unwanted thoughts and back into reality. I took it and he helped me up, even after I was up he kept his hold on my hand as he walked me towards the edge of the island. He led me to an outcropping of rock that was normally completely submerged in water; however there were still puddles in the holes of the rock, and there were small animals living in them.

"What are these?" I asked softly as he crouched next to one of them that had some bright orange and white fish and a large tentacled purple plant, I was both curious and thankful that he was providing a distraction from my internal torment.

"Tide pools. When the tide goes down animals get stuck inside until the tides rise again." Corvo explained as he looked over at me, "You don't get out very much do you?" He questioned as he focused his attention on the small fish again.

"I never got to leave the tower with permission until you stood up for me against father that one day." I replied as I reached over to touch the purple plant, but Corvo grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"It'll sting you." He warned, as he let go of my hand. "It's a sea anemone, that's how it defends itself." he explained as he stood up and walked further along the rocks looking for another good tide pool. I followed him curiously as he bent down next to another one, and picked up what looked like a large glob of green muck.

"Here." He said as he held it out to me, I let him place it in my hands. It was cold and wet and it was slowly inching it's way across my hands. "It's a sea cucumber, it's harmless." He explained then pointed to some star shaped things, "These are starfish, they're harmless too. But you can't pick them up, they're suctioned to the rock." he finished as I placed the sea blob back into the pool and touched one of the starfish, it was rough and a little prickly but they were nice to look at.

"Thank you." I said softly as I looked up at the coastline. And that's when I saw a ship far off in the distance and remembered that my ship home was coming today.

"Corvo…how are we going to get home?" I asked as I looked over at him to see him watching me intently.

"We're just going to have to play it by ear. Chances are it'll end with me having to hold them off while you leave." He answered as he stood up and made his way back toward the main part of the small island.

"I'm not going without you!" I protested as I stood up and followed after him.

"You may not have a choice." He grumbled as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Corvo!" I yelled as I ran to catch up to him, "I refuse to leave without you." I stated as he looked down at me.

"Fine. I'll figure something out." He grumbled as he leaned against one of the palm trees, "Why are you so bent on not leaving without me? " He asked as he crossed his arms in front of himself.

"Because…" I grumbled as I looked down at the ground, "I love you…" I mumbled quietly.

"I can't hear you when you don't speak up." He sighed and I looked back up at him, then glanced away just as quickly.

"Because I love you." I said louder than necessary, not wanting to repeat myself again. I looked up at him slowly worried that I wouldn't like what I saw.

Corvo scowled slightly before he spoke, "I'm a commoner Jessamine. Nobody would approve if you pursued a relationship with me. I grew up on the streets, in poverty, in the city we were just in yesterday. And not only am I a commoner, but I'm a commoner who managed to make a living killing aristocrats and high born's like you." he challenged as he righted himself and uncrossed his arms. Was he trying to intimidate me? I couldn't help but feel like he was, especially since he had been so non-confrontational a few moments ago; however I refused to let him influence my stance on my own feelings.

"I don't care if you're a Lord, or a commoner, or anything in between. I love you for you and not some fancy title. And I don't care what anyone thinks, because they don't know me." I retorted, my voice shaking with anger as I closed the distance between us.

"For people in a position of power like you'll be in the opinion of others does matter, ally's are important for people of your stature. I want to be with you Jessamine, I want it more than I can explain. But you deserve a husband, and a gentleman." Corvo held firm on his point of view.

"Fine. Then nobody needs to know about us. We don't have to be open and explicit about our relationship." I countered, he seemed to think that over for a moment before shaking his head.

"They'll put the pieces together eventually. What will they think when you have a child and have never once accepted any suitors, but they notice that we never leave each others side. They will figure it out." He replied, and he was right. Eventually everyone would put the pieces together.

"I don't care Corvo. They'll get over it." I growled, angered that he was still denying me even after everything we'd been through.

"That still doesn't dispute the fact that you deserve a husband and a gentleman." He countered, keeping much more level headed than I was.

"Getting married doesn't make a relationship any more steadfast than it was prior to marriage. And you are a gentleman." I argued, and he laughed.

"I am not a gentleman." He growled as he turned and started to walk off.

"Yes you are!" I yelled as I followed after him.

"Do you know why the only women I've ever been with are two-bit whores? It's because other women have the common sense not to want a man like me in the bedroom. My tastes are far from gentle…" He growled as he turned around to face me, I almost bumped into him and stopped just in time. I stood there speechless, I didn't even know what he meant by that. I had never had anyone explain how making love worked, I had always just been told that when I found my man he would teach me. He seemed to notice my hesitation because he spoke again.

"We need to get headed back towards Karnaca if we're going to catch your boat. You can continue this debate once your safe on the ship...if you even still want to." Corvo advised, his voice kinder than it had been a few moments prior.

"Fine…I guess we'll talk about it tonight then." I stated holding my ground. He shook his head and grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the island and back towards Karnaca.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Just a friendly little notice that although nothing really happens sexually in this chapter, I do still consider it to be NSFW/NSFS. Just because I personally wouldn't want my boss or professor catching me reading this during a lecture or on the job, the end does get a tad bit risque. Also, it's safe to assume that from here on out each chapter will probably be NSFW/NSFS; however in the future I will let you know at the beginning of the chapter if there is any smut in it, because I know some people don't enjoy reading it, and others enjoy reading it more. So that will be something I disclose at the beginning in coming chapters. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 16: Tension

* * *

Jessamine certainly was stubborn, and she fought for what she wanted; a trait I grudgingly admitted that I admired to a certain degree. But I doubted I'd be able to give her what she wanted in a lover, and I didn't want to ruin her chances of finding the right man for her just because we both wanted to get laid. I looked over at her to see her staring out at the ocean, and I felt my heart tighten a bit. I was still worried about her and how she was doing, I had no doubt that she was worse off than she let me know; however I couldn't help her unless she actually gave me the opportunity to, and I doubted she would. I removed myself from my worries as I scanned the horizon looking for any guards, but it appeared as though they were looking in the city and not on the beach. I would walk us on the beach as long as possible and take the last path into the city. It would get us four blocks away from the dock, we would have to try our hardest to move unnoticed through the streets. Logic assumed that there would be guards blocking each street that led to the docks, and I was almost certain that I would have to get my hands bloody regardless of how well we blended in; the clothing was certainly going to help, but I doubted it would be a significant help at all. Jessamine stood out against Serkonans, her skin was too pale for her to pass as a native, and against the crowd's I was sure she'd look exotic. We were nearing the final choke point into the city when I leaned down to speak to Jessamine.

"We're going into the city. We absolutely have to act like normal citizens or else they are going to catch on to us very quickly." I said in all seriousness as we walked toward the small path that would lead us to the streets. She seemed startled at first as my voice pulled her from her own thoughts, but she gained her composure quickly.

"Alright. Just act like you're my lover." She replied as though it was the simplest answer in the world.

"What?" her idea had merit, we would blend in nicely as the young couple enjoying the city.

"We don't look enough alike to be siblings." She retorted snarkily as she adjusted her hand in mine, interlacing our fingers and swinging our arms in the wind. I decided to go along with it but we didn't walk but ten more meters before she spoke up. "You're acting too stiff. Relax, you're supposed to be happy and in love remember." She chided as we climbed up the cobblestone path; I tried to take her advice as I plastered on a fake smile and forced myself to try to bounce when I walked like she did, although I was sure my acting was poor in comparison to hers. I noticed the first pair of guards immediately, and apparently she did as well because as they were looking us up and down she giggled loudly and leaned onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my cheek. "And what did he do when he found out that you were the one who put the crab in his bed?" she remarked loudly and I quickly realized she was making it look like we were swapping stories.

"Well my little brother, he's not very big but he is scrappy. And he was so mad that he punched me right in the face." I faltered at first as I attempted to come up with anything off the top of my mind; but I managed to put the poor excuse of a sentence together with more enthusiasm than I had ever said anything before in my life, well aware that the two guards were approaching us.

"Show me where!" she giggled and I placed her hand on my lower jaw, she leaned up and kissed me right there before giggling again...she was a natural at blending in.

"Ahem…excuse me." The older guard said as he stopped in front of us.

"Yes, Sir?" Jessamine asked like a happy child, which is probably what she looked like to the two guards in front of us; I could hope so at least.

"Have you two seen a woman in navy and a man in imperial clothing anywhere in town today?" He questioned as he looked over at me, and I forced myself not to reach for my sword.

"No, we haven't…Why? Are they a threat to our safety?" She asked, sounding extremely concerned; and I was immediately thankful that she was doing the majority of the speaking.

"Uh…no ma'am. They're important public figures and we're trying to locate them." he replied, and I felt some of my tension ease as he bought into our ruse.

"Well, we'll be sure to tell a guard if we see them today." I started before I looked down at Jessamine, "Right love?" I finished as she nodded at me before looking back over at the guards.

"Of course. Be safe and have a good day!" She told the guards as she began to lead me further down the street. As soon as they were behind us I felt relieved but I knew there would be more ahead, and I knew that we'd gotten lucky with the last two.

"Oh look, how pretty!" Jessamine squealed before running forward dragging me with her toward a merchant who was selling fabric; I was confused and annoyed at first, now was not the time for shopping. She oohed and ahhed over the different colors and patterns before pulling me to another merchant, and another after that. I quickly realized that she was slowly helping us make our way down the street while looking as nonchalant as possible, and once again I felt another wave of thankfulness at her ability to think so quickly. She did this until we were at the ship's dock ramp, no other guards had stopped to question us; in fact, most of them hadn't even bothered to glance in our direction. She stopped in the clearing in front of the boat and looked up at it as though she was in awe meanwhile, I was at my wits end; there were 7 Grand Serkonan guards in a 10-meter radius of us scanning the crowd.

"Honey, I've always wanted to go on a big ship like this! I wonder what it's doing here." she remarked as she tugged at my hand. I looked to the deck of the boat and immediately noticed Farley standing by the rails scanning the crowd; most likely for us, we were running extremely late the sun was already dipping below the horizon. He finally saw us among the slowly thinning crowd and looked moderately surprised; I made eye contact with him and purposely nodded down towards Jessamine, he seemed to understand my point as he made his way down the ramp.

"Why, hello there sweetheart." Captain Havelock greeted warmly as he took Jessamine's hand and kissed it. "Do you like ships?" He asked as he began to draw attention from a few of the nearby guards, setting me on edge once again.

"I love ships! I've always wanted to go on one, Sir." Jessamine replied sweetly before blushing at the ground, and I thanked the stars that Farley was an intelligent enough man to understand what was going on.

"Well, I'd be happy to give you a tour. We aren't leaving port quite yet, there's time." He offered her his hand, she released her grip on mine and grabbed his instead.

"Why thank you, Sir. That's such a generous offer." She replied still blushing.

"Captain. Are you sure that's a good idea?" a Grand Serkonan Guard questioned as he walked up.

"This is my ship, and I will show who I want around when I want. You may run the city, but I will not let you run my ship for me. Stand down." Havelock ordered sternly and the Guard shambled off quickly, seeming slightly embarrassed.

"You can bring your man with you." Farley offered politely as he addressed Jessamine again, she smiled and took my hand in her free one once again. He led us up onto the deck and pulled us into his chambers quickly, shutting the door behind us.

"I thought you two weren't coming! Is it true what the Serkonan Guard has been telling the ship?" He questioned as he turned to face us.

"What have they been telling you?" I asked although I was sure I already had a slight idea.

"That you assaulted the Duke after you became jealous of him and Lady Jessamine; and that you took her against her will from his home." Farley answered gruffly as he rested his hand on his pistol.

"No, that's a lie. Corvo has been nothing but faithful and loyal to the throne ever since we arrived here. We need to leave...now." Jessamine replied with a hint of authority in her voice that told Havelock not to dare go against her wishes.

"Alright, let's get out of this place then. You two stay in here until I come and get you." Havelock ordered as he left the cabin, leaving us alone. There was a long period of silence before Jessamine spoke up.

"Corvo…if my father learns what the Duke tried to do will there be a war?" She asked as she finally released my hand, letting it fall limply to my side.

"Undoubtedly. I also doubt that he would let me or your old friend live." I replied grimly as I looked over at her.

"Do you think he will hear the same rumors that are being spread here?" She asked softly, and I had to take a moment to think. The only way he would possibly find out was if someone that was here now decided to tell him, I knew the Duke wouldn't have the courage to send a letter to the Emperor if everything contained within that letter was a lie.

"I doubt he will, but only so long as the crew is ordered to keep silent about anything they may have heard." I answered dryly, chances were that this boat was my ticket straight to death. Jessamine was quiet for a long while then, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking; but before I could fall that deep into thought the ship shuddered forward harshly and I heard several gunshots outside. The sudden forward momentum threw Jessamine to the ground and toppled me onto the Captain's desk, the ship continued to slowly lurch forward with a harsh groan followed by the sound of wood snapping. I stood up and managed to gain my footing before helping Jessamine to her feet.

"Are you alright?" I asked as she braced herself on my arm for support.

"I'm fine. What's going on out there?" She questioned, sounding shaken.

"The Grand Serkonan Guard doesn't want the ship to leave port." I answered as I pulled her from my arm, "Stay in here, I'll be right back." I ordered as I left the Captain's cabin, ignoring Jessamine's protests.

Outside the deckhands were running about in the chaos, a few of them were returning fire to the Serkonan Guard; and Farley was at the ships wheel trying desperately to control the vessel as we shuddered our way towards the ocean. I pulled my pistol out from under my shirt and rushed toward the aid of the fighting crew members. I aimed and shot, and a Serkonan guardsman went down under my bullet. One more good shot, and another guardsman down and I was out of bullets. However a few of the crew members had gotten good shots in as well, there were only four Serkonan guardsmen left and they were retreating back into the city. Finally, Havelock got the ship pointed towards the sea and thrust the engines into full power; we began to chug away from the port, leaving it behind us as it began to shrink into the distance. As the crew members burst into cheers I made my way back to the Captain's cabin, as soon as I opened the doors Jessamine rushed into my arms and pulled me close.

"Stop scaring me!" she yelled into my chest, I stood there somewhat shocked by her very public show of affection as we continued to move away from Serkonos.

"I'm going to have a meeting with the crew in roughly an hour, what do you want me to tell them?" Havelock asked, surprising us both as we didn't realize he had walked over. Jessamine let go of me and stepped away to address the Captain properly.

"I'll address them. I'm still figuring out what I'm going to say…" Jessamine answered and the captain nodded his approval before walking off; she grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the side of the ship, we stood there in silence as she collected her thoughts. I watched her consider her options and weigh their merits; slowly but surely she was turning into an Empress.

* * *

ONE HOUR LATER

* * *

"I know you all have questions, and I know all of you have heard the rumors going around that Lord Attano is at fault here." Jessamine stood before the crew of 30 to 40 men and addressed them firmly as I stood in the shadowy corner watching everything play out, "But he is not, he's a hero. The situation the developed on Serkonos was dangerous and he acted quickly to move me out of harms way. The rumors you were told were a lie, and if I catch anyone who dares slander myself or Lord Attano that man shall not like his fate. No one is permitted to repeat the lies you were told today, have I made myself clear?" she paused and the men in the crowd all nodded their heads in understanding of Jessamine's order. After a short moment of silence she gestured for me to come next to her, I obliged and felt all eyes fall on me as I stood next to her.

"Lord Attano acted bravely in a time of confusion and disagreement, and without his presence I know that I would not be here standing before you now. It is because of the bravery and loyalty that he has proven time and time again that I am naming him as my Royal Protector." as she paused to take a breath a heard the crowd murmur, it was more shocked than anything and I didn't blame them. There was normally only one Royal Protector alive at any given time, assigned to and ruler and their spouse, the most there had ever been at once was three.

"As Royal Protector he secures his place among the nobility, and gains immunity from any of his prior crimes as the law mandates. I shall make my formal decree shortly after we return to Dunwall and if any of you disagree you may challenge him then, as the laws mandate." she continued; I was immediately stunned, she had just granted me immunity from my past and made me nobility with a single sentence. I didn't even know she could do that, but seeing as no one protested she seemed to be correct.

"Are there any questions?" She asked finishing her small speech. The crowd muttered quietly amongst themselves; but no one presented any questions and slowly they all dissipated, even the stragglers finding their way out.

"Very well articulated my lady. Have a good night." Havelock addressed Jessamine just before he made his way out of the room, leaving us alone once again. I stood there for a long moment unsure of what to say, but she broke the silence first.

"I told you that being born a commoner wouldn't get in the way of us having a relationship." She stated pointedly before walking off, leaving me to follow her in my bewildered state.

* * *

LATER THAT NIGHT

* * *

Finally, after spending a large chunk of time finding some more appropriate clothes; and having to settle on wearing borrowed crew members clothes, we retired to the small room we had already spent so many nights in. Jessamine sighed heavily as she fell onto the small bed, "I'm so tired." she complained as she kicked off her shoes and crawled under the blankets.

"Goodnight then." I chuckled softly as I took off my sword belt and laid it on an empty shelf along with my pistol. I wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the hard wooden floor for another two nights, but I had slept on worse before.

"Corvo…what are you doing?" Jessamine yawned as I sat down on the floor and leaned into the corner of the room.

"I'm going to sleep." I replied as I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes, it had been a long day and I was ready to rest.

"Come here." She offered as she patted the empty patch of bed next to her, "There's enough room for you too." she continued before yawning again.

"Jessamine. That's very unwise. I'm afraid I have to decline." I advised as I remained seated and closed my eyes once more, hoping that she wouldn't interrupt once again.

"It wasn't a request." She grumbled as she patted the bed again, I sighed heavily as I stood up and made my way over to the bed. She pulled back the blankets for me, inviting me to lay down next to her. I sighed, but did what she wanted; only taking the time to pull off my boots before laying down next to her. She let the blankets fall on me before turning around and nuzzling herself into my side, laying her arm across my chest. I knew that this was a bad idea, but the bed was soft and Jessamine was warm, and I drifted into unconsciousness in record time.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

I woke slowly, feeling something moving on my arm. I grunted as I lifted my head to see Jessamine tracing invisible patterns on my skin with a finger.

"Good morning." She offered brightly as she continued her invisible work. I grumbled sleepily and let my head fall back on the pillow; I normally wasn't a slow waker, but something about the soft warm bed kept me groggy…or maybe it was the soft warm woman next to me.

"Corvo I want to continue our debate from yesterday." Jessamine stated matter of factly, I groaned as I rolled over on my side.

"Please let me wake up." I grumbled as she began to play with my hair; I only tolerated the nuisance for a few moments, before I forced myself to get up and pull on my boots.

"Where are you going?" Jessamine inquired as she sat up in the bed.

"I need to stretch my legs, I'll be right back and you can talk about whatever you want then." I replied before stretching, the borrowed crew members clothes were too tight and cut into my skin unpleasantly. I left our small room and made my way onto the deck; I ignored the mixed looks of admiration and jealousy from the crew members as I walked by. Undoubtedly they had been talking about what Jessamine told them, and worrying themselves over my recent promotion to Royal Protector. I stood at the side of the ship and quickly relieved myself; when I made my way back into the ships hull breakfast was being served. I waited in the short line and grabbed a hefty piece of bread and a decent sized chunk of cheese for both myself and Jessamine; then I made my way back to our room, where she sat cross-legged on the bed.

"I brought breakfast." I offered as I placed the food down on the bedspread; and sat at the foot of the bed across from her.

"Thank you." She replied as she took a bite of bread. I didn't reply as I took out my small knife and cut my cheese into thin slices before layering it on my bread.

"You're not much for pleasantries. You've never once said you're welcome." Jessamine noted as she nibbled on her cheese.

"In my defense, I lived alone up until I met you. There was no need for pleasantries." I grumbled as I took a bite of breakfast, I was in no mood for etiquette lessons at this time in the morning.

"Fair enough." She mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Corvo, what did you mean when you said your tastes were far from gentle?" Jessamine asked after she swallowed her mouthful of food.

I stopped mid chew as I realized that she was asking me to elaborate on my sexual preferences. I finished my bite of food slowly as I wondered how I was supposed to explain to a royal virgin who probably didn't know the first thing about sex in the first place, that I was a sadistic fuck. I couldn't just come out and say: Well princess, I fantasize about tying you up, throwing you over my knee and spanking you until your ass is bright red; I want to pull your hair and face fuck you until you gag on my dick; I want to lay you down on this bed right now, and fuck you while choking you until you're on the brink of unconsciousness, and then stop just long enough to let you catch your breath before I choke you again.

"Jessamine…there's no way to explain…" I trailed off as I scratched the back of my neck. "You do understand the basics of traditional sex, don't you?" I asked before taking another bite of my breakfast.

"Well, not exactly. Everyone always told me when I found the right man he'd teach me everything I needed to know." She replied quietly before taking another bite of bread.

"So you have no idea how sex works basically." I stated dryly. I felt a bit guilty when she stared down at the dull gray blanket, clearly embarrassed. "Maybe I should teach you." I offered, only half joking before taking another bite.

"I wouldn't be opposed." She replied softly as she looked up at me through her eyelashes. And I wanted to show her, right now. But I wasn't going to take her before she knew what she was getting herself into, her chances of finding a worthy husband if I took her would dwindle down to a third. I took a deep breath and braced myself for what I'm sure would be a long, and very difficult talk.

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A/N: Also, a last little note; thanks to 99danas and ColoticRC for your reviews! I just saw them today and they made me smile.


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning:** NSFW, NSFS, Light (Kinky) Smut.

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Chapter 17: The Birds and the Bees

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"Sex is normally supposed to be a very tender and gentle display of love and affection. It's supposed to be all kisses and caresses and pleasure." Corvo explained before taking another bite of his cheesy bread.

"And you don't want that?" I asked honestly a bit confused, who wouldn't want that?

"I do…" He replied, "And I do indulge in that kind of sex regularly. But it's never satisfied me the way it satisfies most other men. That kind of sex is like handling glass; it's very do-able, it's not exactly the most exciting thing though." he clarified while he finished his breakfast.

"Alright then, what excites you?" I questioned causing Corvo to stare at the bedspread for a long time before he answered.

"Fear." He responded as he continued to stare at the bedspread his brows knitting together.

"You want me to be scared of you?" I asked, genuinely confused. Was this the same Corvo as yesterday? The one who had literally just told me that he wouldn't hurt me if his life depended on it, then went on to state that he wanted me to trust him...because this Corvo didn't seem like the man who'd comforted me on the beach yesterday.

"No…" he started then sighed deeply. "No, I don't want you to be scared of me. I hate myself when you're scared of me." He trailed off once again and I felt a bit of relief quell the worry he'd made me feel, this was much closer to the Corvo I'd gotten to know yesterday. "I suppose a more correct answer would have been trust…I want you to trust me enough to let me do things that scare you." He answered, he didn't look up until I brought his head up with my fingers.

"What kind of things?" I asked softly, slightly concerned at this point. What did he want to do to me that he thought would scare me?

"I don't know how to explain Jessamine." Corvo sighed softly as he folded his hands in his lap, I couldn't take that as an answer though. I needed him to stop hiding things from me, I needed him to be himself...I needed him to let me know who he really was.

"Then show me." I breathed just loud enough for him to hear, I was already scared of whatever it was that he wanted to do, but I needed to know. He looked at me for a few moments, his gaze almost calculating.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea given everything you've been through recently." He stated authoritatively, but I wasn't going to have any of that. He was done keeping secrets.

"Show me Corvo." I growled attempting to be the one in charge but quite clearly failing, or so I thought until he spoke up once more.

"Alright...but please remember I'll never truly hurt you..." he trailed off as he played with a loose strand of my hair, "And do try to trust me...if you need me to stop at any point in time then just tell me to stop, I promise I'll listen." He finished before brushing a quick soft kiss against my cheek, he stood up and walked over to the corner, retrieving something from the shelf. It took him forever to do whatever it was he was doing, and with each passing moment my anxiety rose.

Finally I decided to speak up, "Corvo?" I asked gently, and watched his back heave as he took a deep breath. He turned around, pistol in hand and he pointed it at me. I was scared. Had he changed his mind on killing me? Why would he though? I forced myself to try to calm down as he started walking forward, he had literally just said he'd never hurt me...I also dimly remembered through the haze of fear that he'd also just asked me to trust him; however, it was hard to trust a man when you were staring down the barrel of his flintlock.

"Down." He ordered as he gestured to the bed with the pistol. I lifted my hands submissively as I laid down on the bed, fear still overwhelming me I dimly remembered that he'd said I could tell him to stop. A large part of me wanted to tell him to stop right now, but I forced myself to try to offer him the trust he'd just asked for...I told myself I'd order him to stop if he hurt me, but not before then.

He was closing the distance between us with ease, pistol never wavering from my head as he came closer, "Corvo...you're scaring me." I admitted, my voice a shaky whisper.

"Shut up." He growled as he drew his free hand back and lurched forward to hit me. I shrank away and braced myself for the sting, covering my face with my hands; but it never came. I peeked through my fingers to see his hand come down gently as he caressed my cheek; the gentle gesture gave me the courage to move my hands. I looked up at him worriedly to see a tender expression on his face, and that's when I realized that he didn't have the slightest intention of hurting me; he was doing what I'd asked, he was showing me what excited him during sex. I watched as he recognized the relief on my face, but just as soon as he recognized my relief he stopped openly showing his kindness; turning back into the Corvo that made me worry about my own well-being. He got on the bed with me and straddled my hips before leaning down, pressing the barrel of the pistol to the side of my head. "If you make a noise…I swear to the outsider, I will pull the trigger." He growled in my ear as he wrapped his free hand in my hair and gave a small tug, causing me some minor discomfort. "Do you understand?" He growled as he pulled my hair a little harder.

"Y—yes." I whispered and he released his grip on my hair. Corvo slowly kissed his way down my neck, and I felt that familiar warmth growing in my belly; a warmth he'd made me feel a few times now. When he reached my collarbone he nibbled his way back up, biting my skin hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to bruise; self-preservation reminded me that I'd promised myself I'd tell him to stop the moment he hurt me, and at that moment I realized with reckless abandon that I didn't want him to stop. The slight discomfort of his teeth nipping at my skin paled in comparison to the pleasure it was giving me, and I just wanted him to keep going. I whimpered softly as he nibbled a particularly sensitive spot; and he nudged the barrel of the pistol a little deeper into the side of my head to remind me of his threat, causing me to immediately quiet down. Once again self-preservation chided me for being so foolish, and I momentarily considered asking him to stop; but once again I found that I wanted him to keep going, especially if it meant that I would get to feel more of this addictive heat between us.

"Good girl." Corvo whispered roughly into the nape of my neck, sending a small flurry of shivers down my spine. He pulled away briefly before pressing our lips together; his lips firm and assertive, but there was still a hint of tenderness underneath, and he still asked for permission to enter my mouth by gently licking the seam of my lips. He leaned more of his weight onto me as he kissed me deeply, massaging my tongue with his as he had done yesterday. I could feel his arousal through our clothes as it pressed against my lower abdomen; and I couldn't deny that he was arousing me too, the warmth in my belly had grown into an inferno. He pulled his lips from mine almost unwillingly before grinding his hips against mine suddenly; I arched into him, wrapping my fingers in his hair as I felt something I never had before.

"Corvo…" I moaned breathlessly, my voice loud in the small quiet room. He pulled away instantly and moved the pistol to my forehead.

"What did I say about noise?" He growled harshly, as he pulled my hair again, this time hard enough for it to actually hurt a good bit. "I'm a man of my word Jessamine…don't test me again." he growled as he moved the pistol back to the side of my head. The fear he struck into me somehow pooled itself in my stomach as well and made it burn even hotter than before; part of me was fully considering asking him to stop, he was being incredibly intimidating and I couldn't stop a few memories of Theodanis from slipping through my mental wall. Corvo seemed to notice my trepidation though, because he immediately began to show more of his kindness. His fingers gently massaged my scalp where he had just pulled my hair, and his lips became gentle against mine, almost as though he was trying to reassure me of something. "Are you doing alright?" his words caught me off guard as he peppered my jaw with kisses; my mind reeled momentarily as I tried to come to terms with how quickly he could go from rough and intimidating to gentle and caring. He pulled away to stare down at me as he awaited my answer; physically I was fine, mentally I wasn't doing the best but I was holding up...it took me a moment to realize that my answer would determine whether or not he kept going. "Perhaps we should stop, I don't want to — Don't stop." I cut him off as he started to push his weight off of me, wrapping my arms around his lower back and attempting to pull him back against me.

"I don't want you to stop..." I trailed off breathlessly, what was I doing? Part of me did want him to stop, but at the same time I wanted him to keep going; I wanted to know what this inferno inside of me would turn into if it was brought to fruition, I wanted to know what this was building between us, and I desperately wanted him to grind his hips against mine again. Even after my declaration he still seemed reluctant to continue, he stared down at me jaw clenched as he seemed to be debating what to do.

"Jessamine...I'm not sure that you're actually doing alright...I don't want to cause you any undue distress. I think it might be best to — Corvo. Please don't stop now, I've made it this far...I can keep going." I cut him off once again as he pulled further away from me, my words caused him to pause though; almost as though he needed proof that I was actually doing alright for him to continue. I nibbled on my lower lip somewhat nervously as I quickly worried over what I could do to put his mind at ease. I leaned up and kissed him forcefully, pulling at his hair as I managed to pull a deep moan from his mouth; I pulled away to pant for breath before saying the last thing I could think of to reassure him.

"I trust you." I panted as I stared into his deep brown eyes, for a moment I still worried that it wasn't enough. But it seemed to appease him because the next moment I was being pressed into the mattress by his weight as his lips claimed mine and his fingers traced my cheek. With each kiss his lips grew more assertive on mine and less reserved, his tongue met mine once again and I began to lose myself in the warmth of the still tender kisses and the heat building between us once again, the fire inside of me re-kindling at once. Corvo ground his hips against mine again, and I arched into him like I did last time however, this time I forced myself to keep quiet, and I bit back the moan that threatened to escape my lips. The heat inside of me pooled ever lower as his mouth explored mine and his hips continued to find that spot that I had been so blindly unaware of before this; I barely recognized it when his free hand began to trace down my neck, or when his hand wrapped loosely around that vulnerable spot. I felt the pressure on the sides of my neck when he squeezed, but I could still breathe, and it didn't hurt, and I had so many other things all stimulating me simultaneously that I paid it no mind. But after a few moments I felt lightheaded and dazed, Corvo pulled away from our desperate kisses to smirk down at me for a brief moment. The edges of my vision just started to go black before he released the pressure on my neck but kept his hand there, my mind instantly cleared and my vision returned to normal in a few moments. Before I could begin to question what he was doing his lips were pressed against mine once again, and his hips were working their magic against mine; I didn't even realize when he squeezed again, all I knew was I could feel it happening all over again. I failed to realize how dark my vision had gone until it returned to normal, and through the pleasure that Corvo had been causing to build inside me, and our lips fighting for dominance I completely lost track of time. Corvo continued to grind his hips against mine, kiss me senseless, squeeze then relax his grip on my neck and occasionally nudge the barrel of the pistol deeper into the side of my head when I accidentally let a moan or whimper out.

He pulled away too soon though, rolling off of me and standing up. I watched as he walked over to the wall and leaned against it; his back to me, his hands held above him, pistol in one hand, while he breathed raggedly. Trying to catch his breath. "I need to stop." he breathed out with a raspy voice just before I was going to ask him what was wrong. I slowly regained my wit and pushed myself up until I was sitting. Corvo still stood against the wall, his breathing slowing gradually; finally he righted himself, and placed his pistol back on the shelf where he had grabbed it earlier. I assumed that meant he was done demonstrating what he wanted in the bedroom. He turned around slowly, and looked at me as though trying to gauge my reaction to how he would act in bed if I did choose to pursue a relationship with him. And honestly it was all still so fresh in my mind that I wasn't even sure what I thought of it, all I really knew was that the heat he made pool in my belly was turning into a deep empty hole. At first he didn't say anything as he sat down next to me, but after I reached out to take his hand he spoke up.

"Jessamine. Are you actually alright? Be honest." Corvo asked as he looked up from our hands and into my eyes, I could see the worry and concern inside of him. Was I alright? I wasn't scared of Corvo, and I didn't dislike what he did to me...even if at a few times his actions had scared me. He didn't actually hurt me other than nibbling my skin and tugging on my hair too hard, and I didn't exactly feel as though that actually counted as him hurting me; I doubted that I hadn't hurt him when I'd been tearing at his hair or digging my nails into his shoulders. If anything I felt like I could trust him more than I did before; he had every opportunity to hurt me while I was pinned under him, but he chose not to. And I knew for certain that I definitely still had very deep feelings for him. And the one time that I felt as though I needed to ask him to stop he'd caught it and checked on how I was doing, I'd hardly been able to convince him to keep going after that...he had been incredibly responsible and held himself to his word. He was nothing close to Theodanis, and that made me feel safe.

"I'm alright." I replied, my voice still slightly breathless, "And if that was supposed to make me stop loving you it didn't." I finished as my heart rate finally began to slow.

"It was supposed to help you make an educated decision on whether or not you truly want to pursue a relationship with me." he replied his voice neutral as he seemed to look me over as though he didn't believe I was truly alright.

"Is love making going to be like that every time?" I questioned softly, I didn't dislike it; but I also knew that I would probably prefer the gentle love making that Corvo explained to me.

"No. It'll probably be like that a third of the time, and the other two-thirds will be your traditional gentle sex. It's not something I have to have, I just prefer it on occasion. I find it to be very...invigorating." He answered, as he made himself more comforatable on the small bed; laying back against the headboard and kicking his feet up.

"And will it be just like that every time you're in the mood for that?" I asked as I leaned into his side, I was happy when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders drawing me closer.

"No. There's a lot more where that came from. However, that was one of the more aggressive scenarios, and you held up surprisingly well." Corvo explained before he trailed off "...Especially given everything you've been through recently." he finished, as a sour note entered his voice. I ignored his momentary lapse of self-loathing as I tried to figure out what was going on in my own mind. I definitely still wanted Corvo, although I had to admit his sexual tastes were a bit intimidating; but he had made it clear that he was still very attentive and keen to my needs even in that kind of state. However, I didn't know anything about making love except for what Corvo had told me today; everyone had always kept me in the dark whenever I asked questions about anything intimate, and I wanted to get an outside opinion on his tastes as well, from someone with more experience with men than me.

"I think I'd like some time to decide." I said as I glanced away from out interlaced fingers and up at his deep brown eyes.

"I hoped you would. Choosing a partner is no simple task." He replied before leaning over and kissing my cheek softly. We were silent for a long moment after that, each caught up in our own thoughts about everything that had just transpired between us.

"Corvo, why did you stop so suddenly?" I broke the silence, pulling him from his thoughts.

"I only have so much control Jessamine." he replied as he stared down at our interlaced hands instead of looking over at me.

"Meaning?" I asked, hoping for an elaboration even though I could tell he didn't exactly want to give one.

"Meaning if I hadn't stopped you wouldn't be a virgin still." he replied his voice dark.

"Oh…"I said softly before falling silent for a few moments, "Corvo…the pistol—It wasn't loaded." he cut me off abruptly before I even got to finish my statement.

"What?" I questioned, thrown off by his sudden defense.

"It's out of bullets. Even if it wasn't, I would have taken them out." He replied, clearly questioning why I was so worried over an empty pistol.

"Why?" I asked, was he really that concerned that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from hurting me that he had to take away all the means he could have used to do so. No...my Corvo would never willingly shoot me...right?

"Because it would be incredibly dangerous not to, especially if we were actually going to have sex. People's bodies tense and seize without much warning during sex, it's not hard for accidents to happen. I'd never actually put you in any real danger, I just wanted you to think you were." He answered my question with ease, and it immediately made me feel foolish for what I'd thought a few moments ago. This was Corvo, I should have known better than to even worry that he might willingly shoot me. "Jessamine...yesterday when I told you I'd never hurt you, I meant it...I meant every word of it. I would never actively seek to cause you harm. You trust me enough to make me your Royal Protector, I assume that also means you trust me with your life; even if you don't realize that you do yet...I can't feasibly believe that you'd give me that title if you didn't." Corvo finished as he looked at me as though he was seeking validation that what he'd just said was, in fact true. And he was right, I did trust that if anyone or anything ever tried to harm me Corvo would keep me safe...however, I still wasn't entirely sure that I was safe from him. I truly doubted he would ever hurt me, but I still found him quite scary ever since I'd found out that he was an assassin; I'd been forcing myself to ignore the ominous feelings thinking about his past gave me, and I doubted I'd be entirely at ease with it for a while yet.

We sat in silence for a while, until I grew tired of my thoughts running in circles around my mind. I was tired of thinking, I needed something to occupy myself with. I hadn't noticed I'd started to play with Corvo's long hair until I noticed the look of mild annoyance he was staring me down with, I couldn't help but smile at his forced grumpiness; I wanted him to be more friendly, he wasn't an assassin anymore he didn't have to be dark and brooding all the time. "I'm going to braid your hair." I stated matter of factly as I sat up straighter so I could reach better.

"No, you aren't." Corvo grumbled as he batted my hands away.

"Why won't you let me be happy?" I murmured, trying my best to look sad.

"Ugh fine." Corvo sighed heavily as he crossed his arms; apparently the guilt trip worked, so I busied myself with the task before me.

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A/N: Thank you to MissSharpenedSpikes for your review and your helpful constructive criticism!


	18. Chapter 18

**Warning:** NSFW, NSFS, Smut.

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Chapter 18: Denied Requests

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THE NEXT DAY

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In the morning we would be back in Dunwall, and if the Emperor had already heard the rumors that the crew had heard in Serkonos I would be a dead man. I knew that my title of Royal Protector wasn't truly secure until Jessamine wrote the decree and sealed it with her stamp, so I didn't yet have my immunity. I sighed as I stared out at the sunset and attempted to push the dark worries from my mind; I was glad to be out of the small room where Jessamine had run out of things to occupy herself with. She had been braiding, poking and tickling me since yesterday around noon...I enjoyed her company but she didn't need to physically harass me so much. I tried to have patience, every time she began to annoy me I reminded myself that she was eighteen; when I was eighteen I had been hard to keep occupied as well, I knew that much even if I couldn't remember most of my teen years. The most I remembered from back then was waking up next to a different woman almost every other morning while trying to nurse away another hangover, well, that and giving up street fighting to become an assassin.

"Corvo?" I heard Jessamine speak up from behind me, pulling me from my not so fond reminiscing. I didn't reply as I continued to stare out at the sunset, letting myself be pulled back to reality. "It's beautiful out here, and we're almost home." she remarked as she stood next to me, taking my hand in hers. I couldn't help but glance over my back to make sure no one was around to see her public display of affection, luckily it appeared as though most everyone was still in the ships hull having dinner. I reminded myself that I'd have to talk to Jessamine about being so transparent to others, she didn't need anyone knowing what could possibly be between us. "I need you to do something for me." She stated, catching my attention immediately.

"Yes?" I asked as I looked down at her, she seemed nervous and I quickly wondered how she was doing after everything that had happened recently. She still hadn't brought up Theodanis ever since it happened, and I could tell that it did bother her even if she tried her hardest not to show it. And then I had been so dumb yesterday, I knew better than to subject her to my messed up side but I'd done so anyway; I tried to make myself feel better by telling myself that any man wouldn't have been able to hold out against Jessamine. But deep down I knew better, I didn't want to hold out against her; I wanted her in my arms, in my bed...I wanted all of her.

"I need you to show me another one." She answered vaguely and I wondered what she was talking about for a moment. Lord, were women confusing, perhaps the old me had been wise to never look for anything more than one night stands. I shook my head softly at the thought, I hadn't been wise; I'd just been looking for something that I knew absolutely nothing about...and now that I'd found it I still knew absolutely nothing about it, oh the irony.

"Another what?" I questioned quietly, if she could stop being so vauge that would be wonderful.

"Another one of your desires." she replied a little too nonchalantly. Why would she want that? There's no way she could enjoy it, could she? No. I'd been paying attention yesterday and she'd almost cracked at one point, I was just grateful I'd picked up on the slight change in her demeanor when that happened. But nonetheless, she wasn't going to see the rough side of me for a while now; she needed time to recover from everything she'd just been through, she didn't need me going at her like an animal or a criminal, she needed a gentleman...and dammit for her I would try to be one.

"Jessamine, no." I answered firmly, she already knew enough and I didn't want to risk losing control again. I didn't want to risk making her relapse into the broken state she'd been in two days ago.

"I don't know enough to make an educated decision, and I thought that's what you wanted me to do in the first place." She said softly, and I couldn't have hated the situation more than in that moment. I wasn't even in the mood for that stuff, if I was going to have any kind of sex it was going to be the gentle kind; I was more in the mood for that. Did Jessamine even know what she wanted? Because I truly doubted that she wanted the rough side of me, especially right now. Unless she was trying to use that as an excuse to feel more of the obvious lust between us, that seemed like the most probable reason she'd ask for that.

"I'm not in the mood." I replied dryly, I had honestly been looking forward to just holding her again tonight while she slept. "Why would you want more?" I questioned as I looked down at her, trying to figure her out.

"Like I just said, I need to know more. You expect to show me a side of you I've never seen before once? And you think that's enough?" Jessamine answered, continuing to hold up the 'she didn't know enough' facade. She was infuriating...I loved her but damn, did she know how to get my blood boiling. I could tell by the hesitation in her voice and her nervousness that she wasn't ready to see that side of me again, and here she was saying the exact opposite to my face. I couldn't help but shake my head as I pulled my hand away from hers and began to walk away, I only made it a few steps before she yelled after me. "Corvo. Where are you going?" She interrogated, but I ignored her as I clambered down into the ship's hull.

I made my way to the small room I thankfully only had to spend one more night in, closing the door behind me as I sought silence and enough peace to clear my mind. I was only alone for a minute at most until I heard the door open and close behind me. "Corvo, what are you doing?" Jessamine questioned from behind me. I turned to face her slowly, I stepped forward to close the distance between us but she seemed to notice my off mood because she stepped back until her back was pressed against the wall behind her.

"Do you think you can lie to me and I won't notice?" I questioned as I closed the remaining distance between us, purposely invading her personal space.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She held her ground, lifting her head higher in determination.

"Really? So you're not at all scared of me? Not right now? Not yesterday when I had a pistol to your head?" I questioned, knowing it wouldn't be hard to break down her temporary wave of courage.

"It's ok to be scared of things." She replied after a moment of silence, clearly attempting to avoid my query.

"That doesn't answer my question." I remarked gruffly as I braced my hands on the wall next to her shoulders, leaning in closer.

"You may ask questions that I choose not to answer." She remarked, surprising me with how well she was holding her ground. Perhaps I'd underestimated her.

"And you may ask me to do things that I refuse to do." I retorted, and immediately noticed the indignant look she gave me. She opened her mouth to protest, before seeming to realize that there was nothing she could say. "Tell me, do you actually want me to be rough with you again so soon? Or do you actually just want to feel a man's passion again?" I questioned as I leaned in closer, our lips only centimeters apart. She swallowed nervously and was silent for a moment before she finally spoke up.

"Both." Her response was shaky, and I pulled away with a slight frown on my face. "It's not exactly that I want you to be rough again...it's just that...I can't keep making decisions while knowing next to nothing. I may not want you to be rough, but I need it at the moment. I need to know more than what I have, everyone's always kept me in the dark about everything and I'm done. So show me..." Jessamine continued as she explained why she wanted me to oblige her request. I stood there in silence for a few moments as I stared her down considering what to do, she seemed to take my silence as denial of her request. "Or don't, you ca —" I cut her off effectively when I kissed her. She was shocked at first, but after a moment she relaxed into me; tangling her fingers in my hair and kissing me back enthusiastically. I pulled away slowly, forcing myself to ignore how unwillingly she let go.

"I love you." I stated boldly, shocking myself and causing Jessamine to give me a small shy smile as she peeked up at me from under her lashes. "There is nothing in this world that I could deny you, but I do in all honesty believe that this is not what you need." I paused to take a breath when she spoke up.

"Cor — Shh. Let me finish." I cut her off as I placed a finger over her lips. "You try to be strong, and I admire it greatly. But you're not ready for more, not yet. Not after everything that happened back on Serkonos. I watched you almost break yesterday...I almost made you break yesterday. I don't want to risk making that mistake today as well. If you aren't going to keep your own well being in mind then I will, one of us needs to look out for you." I finished sternly as I stared down at her. I could tell that she was taking what I said into account, but I could also tell that she was set on what she wanted.

"I know my limits Corvo. I'll be fine." She replied as she looked up at me, holding my gaze with a look of determination that I had to admit I respected.

"Is this really what you want?" I questioned gently, giving her yet another chance to save herself from my unsavory needs.

"It's what I need." She replied after a long moment of silence, and I could tell that she wasn't going to be the one to surrender this time.

"Alright..." I gave in as I stared down at her for a few moments. If this is what she 'needed' I'd give it to her, even if I didn't believe it to be right at the moment. "Take my shirt off." I ordered, she looked stunned for a moment; surprised by my sudden mood change, but this is what she asked for and I'd give it to her. She slowly unbuttoned my borrowed shirt, her fingers trembling slightly. When she undid the last button she looked up at me, silently asking for guidance. "All the way off Princess. I won't be needing it." I meant to growl the words, but they came out normally. I truly wasn't in the mood for this, and it was showing, however; it seemed to still be enough for her as she bit her lip nervously, and pulled the hem out of my trousers before pushing it off my shoulders and pulling it all the way off my arms, letting it fall to the ground. I felt her curious fingers trace the cuts in my muscle where they pulled away from one another; if I was truly attempting to show her my unsavory side I'd have chided her for unnecessarily touching me, but I couldn't bring myself to act completely like the man she wanted right now, she'd have to settle for what she was getting. "Undress." I ordered, and watched her eyes grow large.

"But—I said undress…you can leave your slip on if you prefer." I cut her off immediately keeping my voice demanding. Jessamine stood there for a few moments but finally began to unbutton her shirt, and I could hear her shaky breath as she dropped her shirt on the floor. I wanted to tell her that it was alright, that she didn't have to; but I reminded myself once again that this was exactly what she wanted from me for the time being, and I'd try my hardest to be whatever she wanted even if it wasn't me at the moment. As she started to unbutton her trousers and pull them from her hips I tried to ignore the feeling of my hardening cock, she stepped out of her trousers and let them pool on the floor with her shirt. Her thin white dress slip stopped at her mid-thigh, and if she wasn't consciously trying to hide herself from me I would have been able to see everything through it. "Put your arms to your sides." I ordered as I started to circle around her, looking her head to toe "You have nothing to hide or be ashamed of, you're beautiful." I added gently, I could tell that she was nervous and embarrassed; she needed some reassuring even if it wasn't what she wanted from me at the moment. She humored me, letting her arms fall to her sides as she nibbled her lip nervously. As I circled back around to stand in front of her I could easily see her perky little nipples and the small patch of black hair in between her thighs through her dress slip; it hugged her delicate curves, she was beautiful and I felt my mouth go a bit dry and my dick harden fully as I stepped closer. I ran my hands gently down her sides, feeling those curves for myself; and I immediately noticed as she trembled softly under my touch. I wanted to reassure her, but she didn't want the soft side of me, she asked for the hard side; even as I tried to remind myself to act more uncaring I couldn't stop myself from leaning down to kiss her.

Her lips were timid against mine at first, but she warmed up to me quickly; running her hands down my chest and back up my arms as she kissed me back with more fervor than I could return at the moment. I pulled away to stare down at her for a moment, she was staring back up at me with her big innocent blue eyes and a small but perfect smile; something about that perfect, little, elated smile on her face brought me back to yesterday...

* * *

 _"There I'm done!" Jessamine remarked happily as she finally finished braiding my hair. I'd counted seven or eight separate braids that she'd done in the last hour, and I could hardly stop a smile from spreading on my face as she looked to me; clearly awaiting my reaction._

 _"So...how do I look?" I asked jokingly, as she covered her mouth with her hand to try to hold in some chuckles, "Am I the beautiful princess I've always longed to be?" I questioned good-naturedly as Jessamine began to laugh uncontrollably, she threw herself face down onto the mattress as she tried to quiet her laughter. I couldn't help but laugh a bit at her reaction, I was just thankful that there wasn't a mirror in here; I'm sure I looked like an atrocity. As we both sat there laughing a soft knock came at the door, I immediately quieted down as I panicked that someone might see me looking as ridiculous as I'm sure I currently did. However, before I could attempt to hide or pull a few of the braids from my hair Jessamine answered whoever was at the door._

 _"Come in!" She yelled over her fit of laughter, before I could even begin to decide what to do the door swung open and Farley entered. He looked at me for not one second before smiling broadly and covering his mouth with his hand, attempting to hide a few chuckles by fake coughing; I was mortified for a brief moment until I looked over at Jessamine who had managed to sit up, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. Fuck it, I'd already lost whatever semblance of manliness I had in this moment to both Jessamine and Farley...I might as well play it up._

 _"Captain Havelock. I trust that you've come here to offer me your hand in marriage? After all, I am the fairest maiden in all the lands." I boasted proudly before flicking one of the braids from my face. My sudden interjection caused both Jessamine and Farley to erupt into laughter, Jessamine threw herself down on the bed once again as she lost herself in laughter; Farley doubled over, bracing himself on his knees as he laughed. "What's so funny?" I questioned, attempting to act hurt but only causing the two of them to laugh harder. As the two of them finally seemed to pull themselves back together I crossed my arms in front of my chest and pouted exaggeratedly."I deserve a man to warm my bed at night too you know." I glowered at Jessamine before they both started laughing once again, Jessamine managed to compose herself rather quickly as she looked over at me._

 _"I'm sure Augustus is still very interested if that's the case." She barely managed to choke the sentence out before laughing again. I couldn't help but laugh at her small joke. I decided to keep quiet after that so that Havelock could state his business with Jessamine._

 _"Your highness. I just wanted to let you know that a few of the crewmen had some questions regarding the notice you put out last night. I was wondering if you would be willing to entertain their questions tonight after supper?" He asked as they both managed to calm themselves for long enough to address each other._

 _"Of course Captain. I'll be there." Jessamine replied, a hint of laughter still tainting her voice. Havelock nodded his respects to her before turning to leave; it didn't escape me the small smile he tried to hold back when his gaze drifted back to me for a brief moment, but he exited the small room without having another fit of laughter. The room was silent for a few moments as Jessamine stared at me humoredly, "You're being uncharacteristically funny at the moment." She noted playfully as she turned to face me better._

 _"I blame it on the fact that I'm uncharacteristically in love." I replied smoothly as I stared her down, watching the humor in her eyes turn into something much more raw and needy. I didn't have time to analyze her response any further before my lips were being crushed against hers as she pinned me back against the headboard of the bed..._

* * *

The memory fleed as soon as it had arrived, and I was left there staring down at the most perfect woman I'd ever had the opportunity to touch; and in that moment I knew that I couldn't keep forcing myself to be what she wanted me to be right now, I wanted to be myself and she needed that more than she needed anything else...even if she didn't think so. I smiled softly as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before picking her up with ease and carrying her the few feet to the small bed. I laid her down gently as I straddled her small frame, pressing my lips to hers once again; this time returning her kisses with just as much passion as I could manage to control. It wasn't long until she was panting under me, digging her nails into my biceps and back roughly as she searched for a way to release some of the tension she must be feeling.

"I can't be what you want." I panted as I pulled away from our desperate kisses, everything inside of me begging to go on. I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted a woman before.

"What?" She questioned, looking confused and concerned as she traced her fingers down my jaw.

"I can't be rough right now...I'm just not feeling it, I'm sorry." I admitted before pressing another short string of desperate kisses to her lips, I pulled away just long enough to put together another sentence; "However, I do fully intend to shower you with my attentions for the time being...". She stared up at me her pupils large and her face flushed and I couldn't help but smile at how damn sexy she looked. I leaned down and pressed another desperate kiss to her lips, but I'd already explored her mouth so much today; I wanted to taste the rest of her, and my lips slowly ventured across her jaw and kissed a trail down her pulse to her collarbone. I continued to kiss my way down her body, trying to ignore the way she panted under me as I kissed her skin over her slip as I made my way further down her chest; kissing a path down the flat area between her breasts as she tugged at my hair and whimpered under me, everything inside of me was urging me to make her mine. However I refused to let my mind be slave to my body's wishes for one moment, I could control myself...I had to.

"Corvo..." Jessamine moaned softly as her fingers dug into the back of my hand. I continued to kiss my way down her body and across her flat stomach as I tried to ignore the way her moans made me want to bury myself deep inside her. I felt her breathing hitch as I finally reached her pelvis, I scooted down a bit further on the bed and began to kiss my way up her inner thigh; I pushed her slip further up as I kissed higher and she arched her back, my lips exploring her ivory skin before I decided to nibble gently on a particularly sensitive spot I'd found. She moaned my name again, louder this time; her fingers digging into my scalp as I began to focus my attentions on her other thigh, purposely teasing her. I could only contain my own need to feel her come apart under me for so long though, and I didn't explore her other thigh as thoroughly as I could have before I was pushing her slip up over her hips; I ran my thumb along her slit briefly, finding her incredibly wet. I couldn't help but smirk at what my attentions had done to her, and I just barely pressed the tip of my finger inside of her when she moaned my name once again and tugged at my hair much more roughly than she had been before.

I smirked at her eager responses before I removed my finger and licked her slit, tasting her salty and warm on my tongue; and the reaction I got out of her was unlike anything I'd ever gotten out of any of the women before her. She squirmed on the bed and pulled at the blankets almost desperately as I wrapped my arms around her stomach to keep her from wiggling away. I held her firmly in place as I tasted her yet again, she squirmed and moaned my name tugging at the bedspread, my hair, and raking her nails aross my shoulders; I ignored the discomfort of her needy roughness as I continued to tease her before paying particular attention to her clit. I wanted her so badly, my dick was painfully throbbing and her moaning my name and squirming the way she did made my head foggy with need; I was hardly thinking, I was just desperately searching for whatever I could do to turn her into more of a mess under me.

"Corvo…please. I need you." Jessamine began to beg softly, and I knew I needed to stop before I did what she wanted me to so desperately. The first time I tried to force myself to stop my desire spurred me on, part of me needed her to come apart completely under me; finally, I found the strength to force myself to pull away from her grip. I crawled back up on the bed next to her, trying desperately to calm my breathing as she pulled herself into me and cuddled into my side. I couldn't help but smile as I wrapped an arm around her holding her there; eventually my dick began to throb less and hurt more and I knew that I'd be particularly tender down there tomorrow. When she looked up at me I leaned down and kissed her softly; she was so smooth, soft, warm and delicate under my fingers as I trailed them along her barely clothed side and I couldn't deny that she filled me with happiness. I lost track of time as I held her close, she didn't say anything to break the silence either; she just ran her hands along my back slowly while trying to control her ragged quick breaths. In that moment I knew without a doubt that I would have saved her from the Duke a thousand times over just to get to hold her like this for a moment; and although I kept trying to tell myself that it didn't matter whether or not she picked me as her lover after we got back to Dunwall, I knew deep down inside that I did care, and I wanted her to be mine more than I'd ever wanted anything before.

"Can you cuddle me?" Jessamine asked, her voice slightly muffled by my chest.

"That's not even a question." I replied as I pulled the blanket over us, kicked off my shoes sloppily, and adjusted myself so I was holding her better. She fell asleep quickly, and it only took me a few moments longer before I welcomed the warm embrace of sleep.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING

* * *

I awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the door, "We're arriving in port in 20 minutes." a voice came through the flimsy wood. I stretched and yawned, next to me Jessamine grumbled and tried to bury herself deeper in the bed. I shook her arm gently which only pulled more grumbles out of her. I chuckled as I got out of bed and pulled on my too tight crew shirt, then strapped on my sword and hid my pistol in the waistband of my trousers.

"Jessamine. It's time to get up." I remarked as I walked back over to her and pulled the blanket off her body. She opened her eyes and glared at me before trying to grab the blanket back, but I just pulled it further out of her reach.

"Corvo…being sexy does not excuse this act of treason." She grumbled before burying her head in the pillow. I figured that she must have still been half asleep, I dropped the blanket on the floor and began to walk out; she would get up after being cold for long enough. I ignored the breakfast that the crew was being handed and climbed out onto the deck, I would either be eating with Jessamine and her father in the hour or I'd be in prison. I watched the city approach until I could see the man boat that Jessamine and I would be departing on; we would basically hit the dock then be on another boat headed to the water lock. I stood there in silence for a few moments until an all too familiar voice broke the quiet morning.

"Corvo. If you ever take a blanket away from me again…" Jessamine threatened as she walked up to me.

"Oh princess, if you and I become a thing I'll be stealing the blanket every night." I replied as we began to pull into port. All the crew members were rushing around hurriedly, ready to be home after so long at sea.

"I used to hate this place, but now it doesn't seem nearly as bad as half the other places we've been to." Jessamine stated, ignoring my previous comment as we stopped at the dock. I noticed the city guardsmen looking for us on deck, but we probably blended in too well in the same clothes everyone else was wearing. As the bridge on the boat lowered onto the dock we followed the crew off of the boat, and I led Jessamine to the smaller vessel that would be taking us to the tower.

"What happened to you two?" one of the guards asked as I let Jessamine hold my hand to steady herself as she got into the boat.

"I believe that's above your pay grade, and I'm in no mood to entertain your questions." Jessamine stated icily as she took a seat and I got in. The guard became quiet immediately, I could tell something about her had changed during the trip. She commanded respect now instead of just hiding behind everyone else. She was turning into a ruler.

The boat ride only lasted a few minutes, and I ignored the guard's awkward glances at me throughout the trip. I was anxious, about what would happen when we hit the water lock, about whether or not the Emperor knew I was a traitor. But Jessamine seemed calm and calculating and I wondered what was going on inside her head. As the water lock lifted us up I saw the Emperor and his Royal Protector standing up there waiting to see her, and when I looked at her father he seemed concerned but he didn't look like he knew anything about Karnaca. Jessamine departed the boat first and ran into her father's arms, I followed a decent distance behind her.

"How was your trip?" He asked as he let go of her.

"I'll tell you all about it, but first I have some very pressing royal business to attend to." Jessamine replied as she began to walk off towards the tower.

"What? Jessamine?" Her father questioned as he followed after her, and the Royal Protector and I followed after them.

"What happened to you?" Hugh asked me as we followed the two of them into the tower.

"Don't get me started. It has been a hell of a week."

* * *

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

* * *

"Here. My first royal declaration." Jessamine stated as she handed a new document to her father. I had watched as she pulled out the paper and wrote on it before sealing the bottom of it with red wax and her own custom seal of the Empire, her father took it and read it over carefully before looking at her.

"You'll have to make a public announcement. I'll advise Stephan to set something up. We can go over everything you'll have to get ready when you meet me for breakfast in half an hour." he said to her as he handed the paper to me. I read over the paper slowly as her father and Hugh left her chambers.

I, Jessamine Kaldwin I, do herby declare on this 23rd day of Nets, Corvo Attano as my Lord Protector. He has been consulted and advised of the rules and job duties of this position, and agreed to accept it. The public announcement will be made at the earliest convince of both parties and any noble who disagrees may fight for the position on a date to be determined for a time period of no more that 4 hours, as stated in the law. Henceforth, the contracted party shall not be relieved until dismissal from the position by a royal decree made by the decreeing official who signed this contract into effect; or until the death of one of the listed parties. This decree grants that if the party contracted was not of nobility prior to taking the assignment that they are now granted the official title of Lord/Lady. This decree grants full immunity from all past crimes regardless of severity, and any future crimes may only be judged and punished by the decreeing official. 

I knew that she was going to make me Royal Protector, but I didn't expect it to be the very first thing she did when she got home. I looked up at her to see her staring back at me, clearly waiting for my reaction.

"I don't know how to thank you." I said softly as I placed the decree on the shelf next to me.

"Don't worry. You'll have your whole life."

* * *

 **A/N:** So I'd like to start by thanking MissSharpenedSpikes and ColoticRC for your reviews on the last chapter! It always makes me happy when I get a review! Also, as I'm sure you've all noticed I usually try to get a chapter out each weekday, but you can begin to expect 2-3 days between updates now that the college season is in full swing once again. I've also had the wonderful opportunity of gaining a beta reader for this story! I'd like to thank MissSharpenedSpikes for agreeing to be my beta and helping me proof-read and go over each chapter before it's published. MSS is doing a wonderful job and this was the first chapter MSS has helped with so far! I'm looking forward to working with MSS as the story progresses, although it will take a bit longer to get chapters out with the extra help you can also expect increased quality content and less errors as MSS is a wonderful editor! So thank you to my generous beta and thank you to my readers, without you here reading it would be senseless to write!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Alright, sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out. It's massive, and there was a lot of editing to do. I'd like to thank ColoticRC for your review! Getting feedback always makes me smile. :) I'd also like to thank my beta reader MissSharpenedSpikes for finding more errors than I care to count and teaching me something new! And thank you to all of my readers for your support, have a great weekend! Update: I fixed the duplicate chapter! Sorry for the slip up!

* * *

Chapter 19: Scandals

* * *

THE SAME DAY

* * *

"So how was your journey? Everyone was hospitable?" My father questioned as he sat across the table from me.

"It was definitely eye-opening..." I began slowly, as I decided what topics I should evade the truth on; I didn't necessarily want to cause anyone trouble by being too honest about everything that had happened. "And there were a few...incidents," I admitted before taking another sip of tea.

"Oh? And what am I supposed to assume that means?" my father asked, his brow furrowed as he took a bite of his croissant.

"Well...Corvo almost died," I blurted out the first thing that I knew would distract my father's attention, and I earned a slight glare from Corvo who continued to try to eat in peace.

"Lord Attano, is that true?" father inquired as he diverted his attention to Corvo. I watched as he finished his bite of food before sitting up straighter to address my father.

"Well, your highness...there was a small incident involving wolves on Tyvia. I honestly don't remember much of it, I was out for quite a while," Corvo answered before I decided to speak up, I could tell he was a bit uncomfortable in my father's presence at the moment.

"He was out for four days. Prince Charles and a small town doctor saved his life," I piped up, drawing my father's attention back to me; Corvo's relief was almost palatable, "He was bitten by a wolf after we left Yaro, it got infected and I almost lost him at one point. I do certainly have to thank him for my life yet again, if it wasn't for him I'm certain it would have been me the wolf would have gotten a hold of instead." I continued to try to paint Corvo in a good light for my father. "Oh, and why, why, why...did you have me meet Chancellor Edgar? He's a child! He's twelve! What could I possibly want to do with him? He showed me his rock collection for heaven's sake! I helped him with his arithmetic homework!" I complained loudly as I waved my croissant in the air, drawing chuckles from the three men in the room.

"Is that the only complaint you have about the suitors you met?" My father chuckled, but I couldn't help but notice the way he kept glancing over at Corvo and I couldn't help but wonder if he knew something of what happened in Serkonos.

"Don't get me started. Chancellor Augustus, well let's just say I wasn't his type and he wasn't my type." I began my small rant and pulled a small chuckle from Corvo as I finished the sentence, "Prince Charles was actually quite a gentleman, and I do incredibly enjoy his company, however; he's also quite old, he's more of a friend than anything. In fact, I'd like to one day appoint him to parliament when I take power, he's a very logical and wise man. Prince Albert and Corvo got in a fight, it was actually a bit scary..." I trailed off when I could tell that my father had something to say.

"And may I inquire as to the nature of this fight?" He questioned as he looked at Corvo calculatingly, drawing him back into the conversation quite unwillingly.

"Um...how should I put this; I may have verbally reprimanded him for being needlessly rough with one of his maids and suggested that he should try to be more of a gentleman; however, I only angered him that much more...to the point where he felt the need to try to take his frustrations out on me. Needless to say, I'm not nearly as compliant as his house staff." Corvo explained as little as necessary to my father, and I quickly noticed that I wasn't the only one trying to keep the rapport of the journey positive.

"And the two of you left his house on what kind of terms?" My father asked me, more so than Corvo.

"Well...after that we weren't exactly his most welcomed guests. He was acting incredibly childish, he basically demanded that I have Corvo flogged; then he became incredibly insulted when I refused to oblige his demands," I answered firmly, I was certain I had made the correct choice back in Tyvia. Corvo had stood by me more times than I cared to count, it was only right that I stood by his side as well when the time came.

"Jessamine, it's understandable that he was mad. Prince's do heavily outweigh Lord's in every aspect of society, you probably should have fulfilled his requests. Lord Attano, I do understand that you're the kind of man who speaks out against what you believe to be wrong; you do have to learn however that society does become increasingly complex the further up the ladder you climb," My father chided me, then Corvo on our actions.

"I refuse to punish my Lord Protector for doing his job. Corvo defended me back then, more so than he defended himself. He is **my** Lord Protector now father, and I am the only one who will decide what, if any, punishment he shall ever receive in the future." I defended Corvo a bit too passionately, and I could tell my father noticed. He seemed more concerned though with a few of the words that I'd let slip.

"Lord Attano...I do believe you just stated that Albert took his frustrations out on you, yet my daughter just stated that you were defending her more than yourself. Would you care to clarify?" father questioned Corvo once again.

"Your majesty. It did begin between the two of us, however, he brought Lady Kaldwin's safety into question at one point. I didn't take a single action against him when he was quite blatantly threatening my own life, it wasn't until he could have harmed her that I made a move against him," Corvo replied carefully, and I could tell he didn't exactly want my father knowing Albert had pointed a pistol at me.

"He was threatening your own life? How so?" My father asked, his voice the usually dark tone it always was just before he was deciding who to reprimand.

"I was momentarily distracted by someone, he took the opportunity to take my pistol away from me then continued to threaten me with it. Once again though, I only made a move against him after it was your daughter that he was threatening," Corvo explained, sounding slightly embarrassed about his shortcomings back on Tyvia.

"He wasn't that much of a threat in all honesty father —"

"He could have shot you, Jessamine! With my own pistol nonetheless!" Corvo cut me off as I tried to save Albert from what I was sure would be a hefty dose of my father's wrath; I was quite irked with Corvo at the moment and I turned to face him angrily.

"He wasn't going to though!" I defended angrily as I stared Corvo down.

"You don't know that! —"

"Stop it both of you. I've heard quite enough. You're over there bickering like an elderly married couple that can hardly stand each other anymore." My father cut off Corvo's retort, effectively silencing the whole table. "Jessamine, you were the one present during this debacle I'm hearing about, so I'll let you decide what to do about those who may have had ill intent while you were away. You have the exact same jurisdiction over the Empire that I do. I would continue to ask you more about your journey, but as I don't wish to listen to you two quarrel like discontented lovers for the rest of the morning I shall wait until a later time to continue this conversation. Anyway, we do have other pressing business to attend to. Stephan will be arriving any moment now to go over ceremony preparations." My father continued as he pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to calm down a bit. Corvo and I sat there in silence as my father regained his composure, but it was impossible to ignore the awkward feeling that hung in the air until Stephan arrived.

* * *

LATER THAT DAY

* * *

The list of things father and Stephan gave me to prepare for the ceremony wasn't lengthy, and I was sure I could get it all done in time. Stephan would have the invitations out by dinnertime today; the ceremony was going to be held on the twenty-fifth, just two days away. Corvo followed along behind me as I made my way through the crowded street and towards the metalsmith's shop. I pushed through the front door, letting Corvo close it behind me. A burly older man looked up from his paper and took off his glasses as he stood to greet us. "Can I help you folks with something?" he asked as he leaned over the counter, clearly trying to discern what brought us into his shop.

"Yes. I'm Jessamine Kaldwin, this is my newly appointed Lord Protector. My father sent me to you to have the ceremonial medallion made," I stated as I watched his eyes grow wide with surprise.

"Your highness, I apologize for not recognizing you," He replied before bowing. "I'm always happy to help a Kaldwin," he finished as he pulled out a pad of paper and a quill and began writing down the order.

"When will you need it by my lady?" he asked as he paused his writing.

"No later than noon on the twenty-fifth," I answered, he looked concerned but continued writing.

"Just the family crest? Or is it going to be the Emperor's or your own personal seal my lady?" he questioned for a moment. It wouldn't make sense to have my Lord Protector wear my father's seal, and when I thought about Corvo wearing my crest with my swans around his neck I almost laughed; I wouldn't subject him to my feminine seal.

"Just the family crest sir," I replied, unable to hide the hint of a chuckle that had almost escaped a few moments ago.

"The name, on the back?" He asked as he paused writing once again. I looked to Corvo, I wasn't sure how he wanted his name on there. He looked back at me questionably before I nodded towards the metal smith.

"Um, Corvo. Corvo Attano," He replied seeming slightly confused as he stepped closer to the counter.

"Alright. No titles? Nothing fancy?" the metal smith double checked as he scribbled everything down.

"No, thank you," Corvo replied as he stood just centimeters behind me, making it impossible for me to not feel his searing body heat even through all the layers of clothes we were both wearing.

"Alright. It'll be ready for you tomorrow at closing," The metal smith told me as he stood up to busy himself with the task before him. I doubted he truly had enough time to perfectly forge the medal, but nobody told a royal no. I grabbed one of the sacks of coin father had given to me out of Corvo's pocket, ignoring the slightly vexed look he gave me from the sudden contact and placed it on the metalsmith's counter.

"I do believe that you'll find this more than satisfactory. Have a good day," I offered as I turned to walk away. As I left the shop I could hear the metal smith move the coins somewhere safer; my father had given me nearly double what anyone would ask for their services, I assumed it was out of politeness since everything was on such a tight deadline.

"So we're running errands today? I thought you had people who did this for you," Corvo spoke to me for the first time since breakfast as we made our way back out into the street.

"I wanted to do it, and it's tradition for me to do it myself," I replied as I made my way further down the street. Corvo was silent after that, I was beginning to notice that he didn't talk unless we were alone and I wondered why, but I had a feeling it was because of his past; he survived by being a secretive man. Finally, I spotted Mason's shop and grabbed Corvo by the hand dragging him forward with me. I let go when we were out of the crowded street, I wanted to be able to touch him like I was able to on the boat, but here I had to hold up appearances. He opened the door for me and when I walked in I immediately recognized Mason, the little old man who made all of father and Hugh's clothes.

"Lady Kaldwin," Mason greeted me with a slight bow before continuing to work on someone's suit.

"Mason. I'm in need of your services," I stated as I heard Corvo closing the door behind me.

"Something for your father?" He asked as he continued to focus solely on his work.

"No, something for my Lord Protector," I answered. Mason stopped his work immediately before walking over, looking Corvo head to toe.

"You named a Royal Protector?" Mason questioned as he tried to touch Corvo, who easily pushed Mason's arms away with a slightly concerned look. "He's not a very friendly fellow is he?" Mason asked as he put his hands on his hips and glowered at Corvo.

"Stop that. He's going to have to touch you," I scolded Corvo. He scowled at me for a brief moment before Mason grabbed his arm and dragged him into the middle of his shop. I watched as Mason made Corvo pull off a few of his layers until he was wearing only his loose long sleeve shirt and his trousers, then Mason began to measure all of Corvo's dimensions. I'd seen Mason work before, he was very thorough and his work was always perfect, it didn't take him long to get the measurements and he waved me over.

"So…he's Royal Protector, how many uniforms?" Mason asked me, probably because he knew it was my father's money being spent.

"What's the usual?" I questioned. I had no clue what was customary.

"Hugh usually gets five winter uniforms and five summer and he's good for two years," Mason answered. Still looking down at the paper with all Corvo's measurements on it.

"We'll take that then," I replied. This ordeal was turning out to be much easier than I expected.

"Anything else? Does he need clothes for the ceremony?" Mason inquired as he scribbled down our order. I doubted Corvo had anything more than his uniforms, he'd need something else.

"He does," I answered and Mason turned to evaluate Corvo once again.

"Let me go grab something," Mason offered as he ran off into the back room.

"I'm not sure if I like this. I feel like a piece of meat," Corvo whispered softly to me as he looked around the small shop.

"You're fine Corvo. He just dosen't know you yet," I reassured him right before Mason walked back in with a stack of clothes. He handed them to Corvo before ordering him into the powder room to change. I watched Corvo reluctantly make his way to the small room and close the door behind him, I stood there in silence with Mason for a few moments before he spoke up.

"I've got some stuff in the back to take care of. Holler for me when he's done," Mason requested before scampering off, leaving me alone in the store. I walked around aimlessly for a bit until I heard a hiss behind me, I turned to see a shirtless Corvo wearing nothing but a vest and trousers leaning out of the powder room gesturing for me to come over. I chuckled as I walked over to him, he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me inside the powder room with him before I got the chance to speak.

"I need your help. I have no idea what I'm doing," Corvo stated quickly as he closed the door behind us.

"Clearly. You've never worn a suit before?" I couldn't help but ask as he turned back to face me and I pushed the vest off his shoulders.

"Why would an assassin ever have to wear a suit?" he responded, and I was reminded once again that Corvo hadn't always been a good guy.

"To blend in," I answered nonchalantly as I picked up the white undershirt in the pile and handed it to him.

"You don't need to blend in if nobody sees you in the first place," He grumbled as he pulled it on over his head and I searched through the pile to find the next piece of the suit.

"Fair enough," I admitted as I turned around with a white and gold button up shirt and put it on for him. Buttoning it all the way up then buttoning his cuffs. I tried to ignore the tension I felt in the air as I did so, but it was already hard to ignore without Corvo's sweet salty smell filling my lungs and his body heat radiating through the small room.

"Tuck that in," I told him as I turned back around to find the tie. It was black with my father's seal on it multiple times, fitting for the occasion. I turned back around and waited for him to finish tucking in his shirt before pulling the collar of his shirt up and wrapping the tie around his neck. It took me a few tries to get a good knot; I blamed it on my shaky fingers, which only got worse when Corvo asked me if I was cold. I dismissed the question as I pulled his collar back down over the tie, and grabbed the silver and black pinstriped vest from earlier and helped him into it. I was buttoning it up with increasingly trembling fingers when he stopped me and finished buttoning it up with ease.

"You don't need to be nervous around me," Corvo stated as he reached behind me to grab the last thing left, his suit jacket.

"I'm not nervous," I defended as he slipped into the long, split tailed silver jacket and buttoned its single button.

"What is it then? Are you scared of me?" He asked as he reached out and stroked a finger down my cheek, his warm touch giving me little tingles.

"I'm not scared of you," I replied as he stepped toward me, leaving almost no empty space between me and the counter. "You just have an alluring presence," I finished. Trying not to appear as flustered as I currently felt.

"Do I?" He whispered before leaning forward, pressing my lower body firmly between his and the counter before tilting my head up and kissing me. I wasn't expecting the kiss at all; and before my mind could fully process what was going on he had pulled away and was opening the door, leaving me to follow behind him. I stayed back for a moment longer as I caught my breath and cleared my mind. After a few moments, I followed Corvo out into the main room and knocked roughly on the door Mason had gone through. I tried not to focus on Corvo staring at me, he looked too damn attractive in a suit to be giving me bedroom eyes on top of it.

"All done?" Mason questioned as he walked in, and I thankfully felt some of the tension between Corvo and I die down. He looked Corvo over and pulled on the suit in multiple places before scribbling more notes on the paper pad. "You like it?" Mason asked him as he continued to find spots that didn't fit perfectly and note that they needed adjustment.

"It's very nice sir," Corvo replied when Mason had finished prodding him.

"You need this by tomorrow night correct?" Mason asked me as he finished making his notes.

"Yes. How did you know?" I questioned while I watched Corvo walk back into the powder room to change back into his regular uniform.

"I already received my invitation dear," was all Mason said before walking back into the shop's inventory room. I'd known him for a few years and I knew he wouldn't come back in until we'd left; he preferred to work alone. It took Corvo a few moments to come back out of the powder room, fully dressed and carrying the suit in his arms; clearly looking for somewhere to deposit it. I pointed to Mason's workbench and he dropped it there before walking over.

"Are you alright to go? Or are you still too flustered?" Corvo asked smoothly as he purposely invaded my personal space.

"I'm fine. C'mon, let's go," I replied irritatedly before walking off. I could and would hold my own against his sly remarks.

* * *

TWO DAYS LATER

* * *

I had been preparing for the ceremony for quite a while; making sure my makeup was perfect, putting meticulous effort into putting my hair into an up-do, and rehearsing my speech in my head. I was nervous, but I knew I could do it. I had to do it now, everyone was probably already gathering downstairs. I grabbed the long silver dress I'd had my tailor fix up and slipped into it; I buttoned up the back with a bit of cursing and just slipped on my flats before Corvo walked in from his chamber, all dressed up except for his tie which he held limply in his hand. It didn't pass me by the way he stared at me, like a child staring through glass at a sweet shop. I had to admit, he looked like a scandal in his suit. He seemed to shake himself out of his daze and finished walking over before holding the tie out to me.

"I still don't know how," He admitted softly. Was he embarrassed? I tried not to chuckle at how adorable I found his embarrassment as I took the tie from him, turning up his collar and wrapping it around his neck before tying his tie neatly, and in one try this time; before tucking it under his vest and collar.

"It's alright. There's a lot of things I don't know," I stated as I took a step back to admire my handiwork.

"Maybe we can teach each other a thing or two," Corvo offered with a wink before putting his arm out for me to grab. I couldn't help but blush as his risqué comment as I laced my arm in his and he began to lead me down the hallway, to the second floor where the party was. I could hear the quiet drone of music and people talking before we even reached the staircase, and when I saw them all my anxiety doubled. I forced my nervousness away as Corvo led me down the staircase; I noted quite a few jealous looks from men pointed toward Corvo, as well as a decent number of jealous women pointed toward me. I supposed I wasn't the only person interested in him and I unintentionally squeezed his arm a bit harder, slightly jealous because he wasn't mine either. I noticed father a short distance away, and I made my way over to him as Corvo removed his arm from mine and began to trail behind me.

"Father," I greeted him happily as I leaned on my tip toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. He smiled as he pulled me next to him while he spoke to a few aristocratic men.

"So what occasion have you brought us all together for Euhorn?" One of them questioned.

"Actually, this isn't my occasion. It's my daughters. She has an announcement that needs to be made," He replied and the whole circle's attention was suddenly focused on me.

"Really? What kind of announcement?" the same man asked again, clearly speaking to me.

"You'll see in due time with a bit of patience sir," I replied. I hadn't meant to seem snarky or rude, but it seemed as though I'd come off that way. Everyone began to speak to my father again, entirely ignoring my presence. I excused myself after a few moments and walked only a few meters away before Esma ran up to me and grabbed me in a hug.

"I've been looking for you!" She said as she released me, she looked behind me with an astonished face and I turned around to see what she was looking at. That's when I realized that Corvo was still following me, and that's what she was staring at.

"Your body guard cleans up nice. I wish you'd let him grace the rest of the female populace with his presence once in a while," Esma stated grudgingly. And I heard Corvo chuckle quietly behind me.

"Esma…" I gasped as I smacked her arm, "Get your own!" I finished and she burst into laughter. She'd just started telling me about everything that had happened in my absence when I heard my father's voice quiet the room.

"Alright, everybody. Let's settle down for a moment. Jessamine, come up here please." I felt cold fear and anxiety rush through me again as I forced myself to walk through the crowd and up onto the platform next to my father, leaving Corvo in the crowd; he'd come up later when I called his name. "This is Jessamine's event. So, I shall hand it over to her from here," My father finished as he squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before walking off, leaving me alone up there.

I took a deep breath before beginning the speech I'd memorized, now was not the time to appear weak. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here tonight. I'm sure half of you are even wondering who I am." half the crowd gave a light chuckle at my bad joke, but it gave me enough courage to continue. "For the last eighteen years I've taken a backseat to all the politics and the trivialities of this nation. However it's time that I stepped up and began to work with my father, and I took that first step away from anonymity and towards fulfilling my spot as your next Empress two days ago when I issued my first royal decree. Now don't worry, I didn't raise taxes or start a prohibition." Another bad joke, but it managed to pull a better response than last time from the crowd. "I did however, on the twenty-third day of the Month of Nets issue a decree that named my Lord Protector. Most of you know the position to be called Royal Protector, however, it is with this new generation that I am altering the title. There is nothing separating royals and lords other than the public's good will that placed my family into power to begin with. I do hope that the change in title sticks, so as to serve as a reminder to future rulers that we are not any more special than any other person." The crowd mumbled causing the room to buzz before it calmed down into silence again. "The man who I named, has proved himself time and time again to not only be one of the strongest people I know. But also to be a man of great bravery and even greater loyalty. He has after all, saved my life four times already." I paused again as another louder buzz of people talking filled the room.

"Corvo Attano. Please come forward," I requested. And the buzz of the crowd rose above what I could speak over as Corvo made his way out of the masses and up onto the platform, my father thankfully quieted everyone by clearing his throat as Corvo bowed before me.

"Stand," I ordered, and we both turned to face the crowd. I reached toward the pedestal in front of me and opened the wooden box I'd gotten from the metal smith yesterday, revealing the shining silver and gold crest of my family; the tilted square with the four keys inside of it. I pulled it from the box and unclasped the hook before turning to face Corvo once again; he gave me a soft reassuring smile as I leaned onto my tip toes and clasped the ends together, fixing his hair so it covered the back of the chain and straightening the medallion on his chest. The crowd fell incredibly silent behind me. I stepped away from him and turned to address the crowd once again. "As it goes by the law, if it so happened that mister Attano was not a member of nobility before taking the assignment of Lord Protector he has henceforth been granted the official title of Lord. Law also states that Lord Attano has been granted full immunity from all of his past crimes regardless of severity, and any future crimes may only be judged and punished by myself; the decreeing official. Henceforth, Lord Attano shall not be relieved of his duty, or his position as Lord Protector until a dismissal from the position has been decreed by myself; or until the death of either one of us. If anyone would like to challenge him for his new title you may do so tomorrow, starting at ten in the morning and ending at two in the afternoon, as mandated by the law. Are there any questions for me at this time?" I finished my speech, the crowd still completely silent.

"He shouldn't be Lord Protector. He's Serkonan." an older aristocratic woman yelled at me and a small murmur went through the crowd again.

"Although you may be too narrow-minded to understand that all people are equal regardless of what isle they hail from, many are not. And if all you bring to the table is an incredible amount of ignorance and racism then please, feel free to leave, because you are what is holding this nation back. I believe that we can one day live in a country where everyone can be treated the same by each other regardless of their homeland. We are more than just our stereotypes. Do you have any other concerns you'd like me to address ma'dam?" I asked proudly, surprising myself with how well I'd come up with the small speech off the top of my head. The woman looked flustered before stomping off, and a few people muttered darkly under their breath but the vast majority broke into applause and whistles and the music started up again; restarting the celebration as everyone began to scatter across the room.

I felt Corvo's arm on my shoulder and looked over to see him looking concerned and touched at the same time, I stepped away and turned to face him.

"Did you really mean all of that?" Corvo asked as he looked at me with that unwavering calculating gaze.

"I wouldn't have said it in front of my future subjects if I didn't," I replied as I forced down tiny butterflies when his gaze lingered on my lips for too long.

"Do you know how to dance?" Corvo questioned as he nodded behind me, there was a large clearing on the floor where couples were swinging to the music while others were forming in groups in the corners and talking.

"I do, I just feel so uncomfortable doing so," I admitted as I turned back to him, blushing slightly.

"Perhaps when they play a better song I'll drag you out there," He offered softly before focusing on something behind me. I turned to see my father walking up with a smile on his face.

"You remind me of your mother. She would speak her mind on what she felt was right even if it made her lose favor in others eyes, I always admired her for that. You've grown into a fine young woman," He stated as he hugged me, and I watched Hugh nod at Corvo seeming to accept him as his equal.

"And you Corvo, I might as well start calling you son. You're part of the family now," my father said before pulling him in for a hug too. I watched extremely humored as Corvo looked scared and gently patted my fathers back until he pulled away. Before I could even begin to protest father grabbed my hand and pulled me from the platform, dragging me down onto the dance floor just as another song struck up. He pulled me close and danced with me slowly, ignoring my slight glare; he knew how I felt about dancing.

"It's too bad that none of the suitors you met suited your fancy. You'd make a wonderful wife someday," father noted. And I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"I'll find a man father. In due time," I replied and he nodded as we continued across the dance floor.

"I know. Is it just me…or do you fancy Corvo?" he asked quietly so no one around us would hear.

"Father! He's my Lord Protector! That's—"

"Forbidden, I know. But nobody stops a royal from doing anything forbidden," Father cut me off before he continued. "However, he's a fine young man and I do believe he likes you. You two could be together if he stepped down from his position someday, others have done it before you," He finished with a shrug as he spun me around. I hadn't known that other Royals had married their Royal Protectors, but I did now, and the information was slightly reassuring. We finished our song in silence, and father kissed my hand before walking away. I stood at the edge of the dance floor for a moment, still taking all the new information in; when I heard a familiar aged voice behind me.

"Care to dance with an old man?" I turned around to see Ephraim for the first time since I had learned about his treason against me; I felt rage boil inside of me, yet I let him take my hand and pull me back out onto the floor nonetheless. We only swayed softly to the music for a few moments before I broke the silence.

"Would you believe that Corvo used to be an assassin? Well, before he retired early to take the Lord Protector position. And the Duke of Karnaca actually had him come over here to make sure he could rape me when I went to visit him a suitor?" I asked quietly enough that no one nearby would hear me, and I watched Ephraim's face fall immediately.

"Jessamine…I'm sorry." He said softly as he looked at the ground, clearly feeling guilty about his actions.

"How much?" I growled making him focus on me again.

"What?" he asked, sending my annoyance up a few more notches; he wasn't dumb, he knew what I was talking about.

"How much did the Duke pay you to lie about Corvo being your nephew?" I ground the words out through gritted teeth as I watched Ephraim's face fall even more.

"Thirty thousand," He admitted guiltily. Part of me felt bad for the pain I was causing him, the other part of me was infuriated; he'd sold me out for a few thousand coins. "I had to. My granddaughter, she was terribly sick and she needed a surgery. It was going to be so expensive, there was no way her parents would ever be able to afford it, even with my help…" he trailed off again, staring down at the floor sadly.

"Why didn't you ask me for help then?" I growled, I would have helped him if he'd just asked; he didn't have to betray me.

"Even if I told you and you could help, your father wouldn't let you. He's the one who controls the money; he'd never let you give me that much, not for a single child's life." he scowled and part of me knew he was right; that much money was enough to pay an officer a years salary, and I doubted my father would have given it away freely.

"Still, if you had told us we would have been able to get her the help she needed. In case you haven't forgotten, we basically own the Academy of Natural Philosophy," I replied. Still angered even though he had his reasons. "Don't worry, the only people who know your treason are myself and Corvo; and I intend to keep it that way." I finished and I noted a hint of gratefulness in his eyes, which only made me that much angrier. "One thing that hurts the most is that even though people always change, the memories of them don't." I growled as I pulled away from Ephraim and walked off the dance floor angrily, I didn't get very far into the crowd until I bumped into Corvo. Was he purposely shadowing me everywhere?

"Are you alright? I saw you talking to my predecessor," Corvo asked as he crossed his arms.

"I'm fine," I replied harshly. I could tell that he saw through my lie with ease, and I knew he wasn't going to take any of that nonsense.

"Do you think you can lie to me and I won't notice?" Corvo questioned, saying the same words he'd said the last time we bickered back on the ship. I remained silent though, I wasn't in the mood to entertain his questions; I tried to step past him but he blocked my path once more with ease. He noticed my obstinance and continued his small little rant anyway. "You're very bad at communicating, mainly in your personal relationships with people," He remarked and only succeeded in annoying me further.

"So what?" I asked exasperatedly, I knew he wouldn't let me leave without speaking his mind.

"Perhaps you should try to work on that, it'll save you a lot of trouble in the future," he offered his advice as he reached up to stroke my face, before deciding not to and letting his hand drop back to his side. I didn't reply, instead I just glanced around the area to see if any of my friends were going to come save me from his lecture. "Come dance with me," Corvo requested as I heard the unique intro notes of a Serkonan song ring through the room.

"This is a couples dance," I retorted. And one of the most promiscuous ones out there; that would start some rumors for sure, although most people would probably forget this whole night by the time I finally became Empress.

"Strange…I thought that's what you wanted us to be," he replied seeming unconcerned about my response. He waited for my next response for a few moments before speaking up once again. "Oh come on Jessie. It's the least you can do for me on my birthday." I stood there surprised for a moment, why hadn't he told me that sooner? He seemed to take my silence as refusal as he shrugged his shoulders and started looking around the room for something until his gaze stopped most abruptly. I followed his gaze across the room to a woman in red who gave him a small cute wave with her fingers. I felt jealousy bubble inside me almost instantaneously as he looked back over to me, biting his lower lip and furrowing his brow coyly. He was mine, and dammit if I had to dance with him to make these women take a hint I would. I grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the mostly empty dance floor with me. It looked like only a few other couples were going to attempt this dance, and I couldn't blame them, it was difficult.

I ignored his triumphant smirk as I stood behind him and waited for the first few chords to ring through the room before running my hand under his arm and across his chest, feeling his larger hand rest on top of mine just before pulling away and circling in front of him. He grabbed my waist and my side, pulling my back into his chest before running the tip of his nose up the side of my face. "Always full of surprises aren't you," He whispered softly before pushing me away while he stepped forward. I spun around and wrapped my hand around his bicep and grabbed the back of his neck with my other, pulling myself back into him and pulling his head down until the tips of our noses touched.

"You're not horrible at this," I whispered as I dragged my hand slowly down his arm. He spun us around a few times while I ran my hands across his body to his shoulders. I let go and started to spin away until he stopped me by bracing my back with his arm and wrapping both his hands around my waist before pulling me back into his chest again. He leaned down as if he was going to kiss me before stopping, our lips just centimeters apart.

"I'd be better if you let me take control," He replied as he ran his hand up my side and under my arm. "I thought you understood by now…" he trailed off as I looked away and he continued to run his hand up my arm, lifting it in the air, "that I enjoy being the one in control," He finished as he held his open palm against mine. I slowly wrapped my fingers around the back of his hand before looking back up at him, his eyes peering into my soul. I let him take the lead, following his long graceful steps and only throwing in a few kicks for flair. When we got close to the edge of the dance floor he picked me slightly up off the ground and spun me around before walking us back the way we came. I had to put all my focus into keeping up with his long quick steps until he spun me so that my back was against his chest. He wrapped one arm around my waist and held my hand with his other outstretched arm. I led us forward a few steps before letting him spin me around to face him again, he pulled me close before I leaned away almost bending over backward before righting myself and turning away from him. I started to step away before he stopped me by twisting the arm he still had a hold of behind me. He circled behind me, wrapping his hands around my upper arms and pressing his lips to my ear.

"Isn't this better…" he asked as he ran his hands slowly down my arms to my wrists, he led me into a spin so I was face to face with him again his warm breath fanning over my face.

"I think there's still a few things I could teach you," I noted before he pushed me a bit further away and led us across the floor once again. He spun me in the air again, and placed me back down, almost letting me sink into the floor before pulling me up again. I leaned forward and wrapped my leg behind his forcing him to lean back.

"I think we could both benefit from each others…skills," He replied, his lips once again only centimeters from mine. I had just barely been managing to keep the butterflies down in my stomach, but his smooth words and his eyes smoldering into mine made me lose what little control I did have over them. I went through the rest of the dance in a bit of a daze, counting entirely on Corvo to run the floor and just letting myself flow with him. I hadn't even realized the dance had ended until quite a few people started clapping. I had been so lost in his eyes, it was almost like he could make love with his eyes alone.

We pulled away from each other, and I looked around to find that the few couples that had started the dance with us hadn't finished it with us…we had just been the spotlight of the whole party. And I was sure that everyone would now have enough rumor fodder to keep them occupied for a few months, that dance was by far the most sensual thing I'd ever done in public; and the man I did it with, well that was simply scandalous. He led me off the dance floor as people began to walk out as another song struck up.

"I hope you enjoy the remainder of the party…" Corvo stated as he brought my hand up to his face and kissed it, "Princess," he said as he let my hand fall to my side before turning away and walking off. He only ever called me princess when we were both all sexed up, and it seemed to be a term he was going to keep that way. I didn't even have time to clear my thoughts before Esma and Dorothea ran over to me squealing and began to bombard me with questions.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING

* * *

I sat with Esma and Dorothea under a canopy while Corvo warmed up in the sparring circle. If anyone challenged his stake at the position of Lord Protector they could duel him for it now. After the four hours were up his spot would be solidified, no one who had ever challenged a nominated Lord Protector had won; I knew Corvo was too good to be beaten.

"So, what made you choose him?" Dorothea asked me but Esma replied.

"Probably his good looks. Who wouldn't want that following them around for the rest of their life," she cooed and they both broke into laughter.

"Stop that," I scolded. "He's loyal and a great fighter. He saved my life twice while we were gone," I replied as I adjusted myself in my seat.

"Really? You do need to tell us about your travels, we're quite curious," Esma stated she leaned back in her chair. I ignored her momentarily as I glanced at Corvo's current challengers, it looked like he would only have two sassy aristocrats for his trial; that would be over before it began.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to ask the both of you. It's about one of the suitors I met," I whispered softly, slightly embarrassed. However, both of them perked up immediately.

"You met someone you like?" Dorothea questioned as she leaned forward in her seat.

"Like may be too small a term," I replied shyly as they both erupted into giggles, causing everyone waiting to watch the sparring to glance over at us.

"Tell us about him! Where's he from? Did you guys do anything?" Esma interrogated after everyone looked away from the group of squealing girls.

"He's from Serkonos. And we didn't have sex...well, not all the way," I answered her question slowly.

"Why not?" Esma inquired, clearly much more interested in any possible acts of intimacy than Dorothea.

"Well, he thinks he's not right for me; because he has…rough…fantasies and he showed me one of them and I still really like him but I was hoping you two could give me some guidance," I said shyly as I played with my hands and tried to ignore my blushing.

"It just comes down to you personally, and whether or not you want that I suppose," Dorothea offered her advice almost immediately. I knew Dorothea wasn't much for talking about her previous loves, she'd always been much more conservative than Esma.

"What did he do to you?" Esma whispered, and Dorothea seemed slightly interested as well even though I could tell she was trying to hide it.

"If I tell you, you have to swear not to tell anyone else. And I need your opinions whether or not I should do it, you two know what sex is like I don't," I stated quietly.

"Our lips are sealed," Esma replied and Dorothea nodded. I took a deep breath as I wondered how exactly to tell them what had happened, but I could tell with each moment that they were growing more impatient so I just let it out.

"Well...um, he grabbed a pistol and pointed it at me and started to order me around the bedroom, and when I started to retort he acted like he was going to hit me, but he didn't," I paused to take in Esma's look of intrigue and excitement, and Dorothea's look of curiosity and concern. "And he straddled me and pushed the pistol into my temple, and pulled my hair and said something along the lines of 'if you make a noise, I'll pull the trigger'. Then he started kissing and biting me and it felt really good, but every time I made noise he would nudge me with the pistol to tell me to quiet down," I stopped to take a breath when Dorothea started talking.

"Are you crazy? Why didn't you yell for Corvo? This man could have killed you," She whispered harshly, clearly angered.

"Stop that. Let her finish. Go on Jess," Emma scolded Dorothea. I took a deep shaky breath before continuing.

"And then he ground his hips against mine and I moaned his name, and he stopped and pulled my hair again and put the pistol to my forehead and said 'What did I say about the noise. I'm a man of my word, don't test me again'. And he moved the pistol back to the side of my head and started grinding against me again. And I'm not even sure what he was doing with his free hand after that. But I think I almost passed out a few times, I can't say for sure though...and then he just got up and walked off," I finished as I tried to ignore the scrutinizing gazes of my friends.

"You're crazy…you need someone to look out for you. I think you should reconsider your affections," Dorothea stated as she glowered at the ground.

"Wow…you know me Jess. And I'm pretty open to stuff, but that would scare me a little. Is he dangerous? Do you trust him? Did he even say why he likes stuff that crazy?" Esma bombarded me with questions.

"He said something about wanting me to trust him enough to let him do things that scare me. And I do trust him, more than anyone possibly," I replied as I focused on playing with my hands in an attempt to avoid my friend's gazes.

"Ok, but you didn't answer all my questions. Is he dangerous?" Esma asked again as I noticed someone walking toward us out of the corner of my eye. I looked up to see that it was Corvo.

"Are you alright?" He inquired softly as he got down on a knee in front of me, and almost rested his hand on my leg before deciding against it.

"Yes. Why?" I questioned as I looked at him puzzled.

"You just seem…you look troubled and, a little scared," Corvo replied while clearly trying to ignore Esma's giggles.

"I'm fine Corvo. I'm just thinking about a lot of stuff right now," I answered and watched him nod solemnly.

"Alright. I was just making sure," He finished as he stood up and walked back into the ring. He seemed to be sizing up his competition, there was still a while until it would start and it looked as though he now had five challengers, still not a problem for him.

"Why don't you want a man like that? A man who cares about your well-being," Dorothea scoffed, and I couldn't help but smile. If only she knew who my mystery man was.

"So…" Esma pressed and I sighed softly.

"Yes, he is dangerous, but not to me. And he does care Dorothea," I replied to both of them, as I began to wonder if they were actually going to be helpful at all.

"Hmm…well he certainly sounds interesting. I would probably go for it. But you know me. I'm all for trying new rambunctious things," Emma giggled as she stood up and walked over to the refreshment table.

"I don't know Jess. I just don't want you to get hurt," Dorothea admitted softly as she stared at Corvo intently. "He does sound strange, but if you like him and you're alright with the things he wants to do to you then I can't stop you. I just want you to be happy and safe," She finished.

"He'd never hurt me," I reassured her as I placed my hand on her arm, she nodded softly but said nothing more. I could tell that she wasn't quite alright with it, but she wasn't going to keep me from what I wanted. Finally, after what felt like an eternity the four hours began. Corvo was beginning to take on his first challenger. And Esma was still at the refreshment table chatting up some young man while Dorothea and I watched Corvo toy with his opponent for a few minutes, before defeating him with ease.

"I always thought that you and Corvo liked each other…I mean, it's scandalous I know, but I thought I saw something in the way you looked at him. And then when you danced together last night I was certain…I suppose I was wrong," She trailed off as we watched Corvo's next challenger step up.

"Dorothea. I'll tell you something if you swear on your life you'll never breathe a word of it to another living soul," I stated as the sound of metal striking metal filled the air, but just by looking I knew the remaining four men wouldn't have a chance.

"I've never told anyone a lot of things. What makes you think that'll change?" Dorothea replied as she looked over at me. She was right, I'd told her many scandalous things in the years I'd known her and none of them had come to light, she was a great secret keeper.

"Corvo is the man who I was talking about. He's the one who did all that stuff to me. And I love him," I whispered in her ear as she gawked openly before covering her mouth with her hand. She looked at me, completely shocked and it seemed to take her a bit to regain words.

"Well then…I certainly wasn't expecting that…I mean, if you love him and you're ok with who he is in the bedroom then I won't talk you out of it. I've always thought you two would make a handsome couple anyways."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Explanations

* * *

ONE HOUR LATER

* * *

"Corvo! Wait!" I heard Jessamine yell for me as I walked away from the ring, all of my so-called competition was completely pathetic. I honestly felt a bit bad for the poor men, it wasn't their fault I'd been fighting since I was seven. I stopped and waited for Jessamine to reach me, I could hear her feet crunch on the gravel as she ran to catch up to me. When she finally did, I continued walking towards the tower, perfectly happy with the silence between us. "I have some personal matters I need to speak with you about," she stated as we entered the tower and she began to follow me up the stairs.

"I'm listening," I replied dryly. I didn't mean to come off as rude, but I knew she was under quite a lot of scrutiny because of our dance last night. She didn't need even more speculation on the subject, the more distant I seemed the better.

"Well...first of all, we need to teach you how to tie a tie," she started and I sighed heavily, I didn't understand why I had to adapt to such trivialities.

"That's not a skill I need Jessamine," I almost growled as I started up the second story staircase.

"Actually, now that you're Lord Protector it's part of the uniform," she replied almost snarkily. I couldn't blame her, I was acting like an ass.

"Great…just what I wanted," I sighed as I pushed open one of the doors to her chamber and walked in.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked exasperatedly as she let the door drift closed behind her.

"Nothing. I just don't think it's wise to act like the best of friends after what we did last night. There's a lot of people watching, even when you don't realize it," I replied as I walked into my chambers and closed the door behind me. I just wanted to change in peace. I pulled one of my new uniforms out of the dresser, removed my old one and washed my face before changing. Jessamine was right, my new uniform was basically just a suit that I got to wear armor over all day… wonderful. I slipped into the new clothes but left my armor and my new black and gold leather jacket laying on my small bed. I picked up the charcoal gray tie and opened the door that separated our chambers. I made my way over to her slowly, I knew she was going to have more to say to me about last night. As I stopped in front of her she glared at me for a few moments before restarting our conversation.

"If you hadn't felt the need to make me jealous over someone you've never even met before, then we wouldn't be under any scrutiny," she began as she grabbed the tie out of my hands and sat on the edge of her bed. I sighed. How was it possible that she still didn't understand I wasn't looking for anyone; I was still awaiting her decision, and I would remain unavailable until she'd finally come to a conclusion.

"You shouldn't have gotten jealous. You're the woman I love," I replied as I ignored the tight feeling in my chest. I sat on the bed a meter away from her, it had been four days since we got back to Dunwall and any intimacy between us had dwindled significantly. Other than dancing with her last night, and kissing her a few days before that we had been more like friends than lovers.

"Corvo, there's actually something else I need to talk to you about. I've been thinking about you…about us quite a bit ever since we got back. And you are so confusing, you make me feel scared and safe all at the same time and it's maddening," She stopped for a moment to take a deep shaky breath. I couldn't help but notice how she played with my tie nervously, and that, mixed with the tone of her voice made it easy for me to tell that she was anxious about whatever she was getting ready to say.

"Why do you feel like that?" I inquired. I wanted her to trust me, not to constantly be afraid of me.

"Because sometimes, I just think about the fact that you used to kill innocent people and that at one time you were supposed to kill me. And you're so strong and mysterious, and sometimes when we're alone it's very… intimidating. But at the same time, I feel so safe when you're next to me and I know that there's no one more qualified to be my Lord Protector than you are. And when you actually let me see past the facade you put up for everyone else, I can tell that you are a genuinely good man," she replied slowly, as though she'd picked every word carefully. I had to admit that Jessamine was justified in the first half, if I was in her position I would probably be nervous from time to time too. And the last half was at least reassuring.

"Anyways, I was saying; even with the confusing mix of emotions going on inside me, I know that I love you. And you're the only man I've ever loved. I've been thinking about what your needs are intimately, and I still want to be with you. I'm not even sure why you're so worried that I won't love you anymore just because you'll be a little rough and slightly more intimidating with lovemaking occasionally. Every time you've done something to me, it's made me trust you more in the end; even if it was slightly scary in the moment," She paused as she laid my tie down on the bed between us and reached out to take one of my hands in hers. Was she really saying what I thought she was saying? Did she really still want me? Even after knowing so many of the bad things about me? As she held my hand in both of hers I couldn't help but wonder if she was actually being serious.

"I want to be with you, Corvo. I've taken my time, and I've thought everything through…and I love you. I want you to be mine. And I want to be yours," she finished quietly before peering up at me with those soft blue eyes. I could feel that familiar tightening in my chest growing to an almost uncomfortable level. Was she actually being serious? Jessamine wouldn't make a joke out of something like this. I certainly hoped she wouldn't. What if I said yes and I just wound up hurting her? I didn't want to hurt her... I'd already hurt her far too much. I was silent for too long as I tried to take it all in, she let go of my hand and looked away. "It's alright if you don't feel similarly though," she noted softly, and I heard her voice crack a bit at the end.

"Jessamine," I began softly as I waited for her to look me in the eye once again. It took a moment for her to look back up at me, and I managed to take a deep breath before continuing, "It would be an honor, to belong to you." I couldn't help the small smile I could feel spreading on my face as I said those few simple words. The look of excitement that she had filled me with happiness as she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around me, pushing me down on her bed. I laughed as I wiggled all the way up onto her bed so I was laying on my back and she was laying on top of me. And in that moment, I knew that I had never been happier with my life.

"Does this mean you'll finally make love to me?" she asked quietly as she ran her fingers through my hair. I couldn't help but snicker at the first question she asked me.

"In due time," I chuckled. Jessamine had always deserved far better than me, and if she was dead set on having me then the least I could do was try to be better for her.

"Not tonight?" She inquired. Looking and sounding a bit crestfallen.

"No, not tonight. I'd like to attempt to be a gentleman. At least let me court you first, we don't really know all that much about each other except that we have a sort of affinity towards each other," I replied as I cradled the side of her head in my hand and stroked her cheek with my thumb.

"Alright," she ceded, still sounding a bit deflated, but definitely happier than before.

"There is something we can do in the mean time though," I noted quietly as I pulled her head down and pressed our lips together. She kept one hand tangled in my hair and ran her other hand along my arm as we kissed, her lips perfectly warm and soft against mine. She pulled away for a brief moment before kissing me again... and again. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her on top of me as I felt the lust building inside me. She prodded my lips with her tongue and I couldn't help but smile a bit before letting her in. It looked like she'd already learned a thing or two from me. I let her explore my mouth as I ran my hands over her back and forced myself to ignore my growing arousal. As she pulled away from my mouth she caught my lower lip between her teeth and tugged on it gently, I couldn't help but moan as I dug my fingers into her back; I'd never been with a woman who'd ever actually been brave enough to try anything without my permission. It was already clear that Jessamine was a cut apart from the rest though. I lost myself in her for the longest time, just reveling in the feeling of her on top of me, her soft lips and her prodding tongue. I was possibly more comfortable than I'd ever been until a voice cut through the room.

"Wow, Jess…I see you didn't waste any time." The female voice cut through the room. I tensed immediately and rolled Jessamine off of me with more force than I needed as I reached for where my sword was usually holstered, and turned to see who had just witnessed us being a bit too well acquainted.

"Whoa there, mister Lord Protector," Dorothea said as she held her hands out in front of her, "no need to stab me with your invisible sword," she finished with a scoff as I stood up, letting my arms fall to my sides limply. I had literally no clue what to do at this point... intimidate her into silence, let Jessamine do the talking, make it look like she just disappeared.

"Dorothea, what are you doing in here? And why didn't you knock?" Jessamine questioned, clearly annoyed. She stood and walked over to the other woman.

"Well, you're incredibly late for your music lesson so I came to get you. Only to find out that no later than two hours after asking my advice about Corvo you're already trying to seduce him," Dorothea replied grimly before crossing her arms in front of her chest. Jessamine told her about us... how much did she tell? I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that I felt more than a little peeved at Jessamine; I relied on being mysterious, it was how I had always lived.

"We never even do anything at the lessons and—"

"Jessamine…" I cut her off mid-sentence. I didn't exactly mean for my voice to sound so icy and stern, but it was the mixture of annoyance toward Jessamine, and feeling vulnerable to a small woman that caused it. I crossed my arms as she fell silent and looked over at me.

"What did you tell her?" I questioned, my voice still harsher than I meant for it to be.

"I needed advice and another point of view on some stuff. Dorothea's been my friend for years, she'd never tell anyone a thing." Jessamine defended without answering my question.

"Seriously. Calm down. You're going to prefer having me as a friend rather than an enemy," Dorothea defended as she stepped in-between me and Jessamine.

"Fine. I'll give you a chance, but only because you're her friend. But if I ever find out that you told anyone anything, I will not hesitate to make you disappear," I growled as I stepped closer to her, towering over her.

"Ooooh. How intimidating… an ex-officer of the city guard thinks he's the toughest guy in the city because he just got a promotion," She sassed me right back as she stood on her tip toes trying to be taller.

"You know nothing about me. And if you assume that's what I used to be then you clearly have a poor idea of what my disposition is; it's a very bad idea to underestimate me." I replied, my voice growing even colder as I felt my annoyance rise.

"What exactly are you saying?" She questioned me, her voice raising several notches.

"It doesn't matter. The past is in the past," Jessamine jumped into the conversation once again as she pushed both of us away from each other.

"No Jess. It does matter. I'm your best friend, it's my job to make sure your not getting yourself into trouble," Dorothea scolded, focusing all her attention on Jessamine and ignoring me completely.

"It's a conversation for another time," Jessamine replied as she waved me away. I moved only a few steps away where I sat on her bed and laid back against the headboard kicking my feet up. Jessamine's friend seemed incredibly welcoming the last time I'd seen her, the hostility she harbored toward me this time made me wonder what exactly Jessamine had told her about me.

"Really? Right now seems like a fine time to me. Besides what does it matter if I know, he's immune from anything illegal he may have done before. Remember?" Dorothea yelled, her voice ringing through the room.

"Still. Nobody needs to know," Jessamine said strictly, holding her ground.

"Oh if she's really that curious I'd be happy to oblige," I piped back into the conversation. If her friend was scared of me she would be less likely to talk to anyone else about us; I knew that our relationship was expressly forbidden by law, we were supposed to be working colleagues, nothing more.

"Please do!" Dorothea yelled, directing her attention back to me as she stalked over to the side of the bed.

"Both of you, just stop!" Jessamine yelled, causing us both to stop immediately. I'd seen her angry before but this time she seemed more tired than mad, "I love you both, in very different ways… but still. Can't we all just get along?" she questioned exasperatedly as she rubbed her temples with her fingers.

"Fine…" Dorothea grudgingly replied before holding her hand out to me, "Truce?" she asked waiting for my response. I said nothing but gave her hand a quick shake in reply.

"There, happy?" Dorothea asked as she turned to face Jessamine.

"Yes," Jessamine replied her voice still tired.

"Now that we're all 'friends', we should get to know each other," Dorothea started as she turned back towards me. "I'm Dorothea, I'm Jessamine's music instructor," she said pointedly as she put her hands on her hips.

"Corvo. Her Lord Protector," I replied as I watched Jessamine glare at her friend.

"Before I started working here I used to be a bartender at the Hound Pitts," Dorothea continued, clearly wanting me to tell her my previous occupation. And dammit, if she wanted to know so badly then I'd tell her.

"I used to be an assassin. I actually came over here to ensure some…unsavory things befell your future empress. Long story short, I prefer her to my previous employer," I replied casually and then the room erupted into chaos.

* * *

ONE HOUR LATER

* * *

It took Jessamine at least half an hour to calm her friend down, then another half an hour to explain what happened in Serkonos. During that time one of the officers patrolling the hallway came in to see if everything was alright because of all the noise, I waved him away telling him they were just having a women's quarrel. He nodded with understanding and left us in peace. When Jessamine had finally gotten Dorothea to listen to her with an open mind I was exhausted just from watching them. Then of course after hearing Jessamine's side of the story she wanted mine too. Jessamine excused herself temporarily, telling us not to kill each other in her absence.

"So…the big bad assassin turned good guy…How exactly did that happen?" Dorothea asked me her voice no longer angry or frustrated, she actually somehow sounded neutral. I knew she'd only get mad again if I told her to run off and leave me be, so I chose to oblige her questions. A friend who spent a good majority of their time outside the tower might be a good piece to have in my arsenal.

"I don't exactly know myself. I got to know her, and I liked her a lot. It was easy to deny it at first, then she ran off without me and got herself hurt and I realized that I couldn't keep lying to myself about my feelings toward her. But, I still had a job to do, and I never let a client down so I made her hate me. But then I couldn't exactly handle a grudging Jessamine crushing my feelings at every turn so I made amends. Which worked for a little while, it was easier living in denial even as the day of reckoning fast approached. But then we made it to Serkonos and I told myself that it would be easy, that she was just another job and when it was over I'd be able to forget it." I paused as I considered how to explain everything else that followed. Our story was quite a complicated one...

"So what changed?" Dorothea asked as Jessamine walked back in. I watched Jessamine look at us both for a moment before she sat in my leather chair against the wall.

"Well at the moment nothing, I'd be lying if I said I didn't change my mind until the last possible moment. So I just ignored everything and focused on the fact that I was almost done with my job, I'd be able to move on and forget it. My employer decided I needed to make her hate me again because she'd grown too fond of me, so he had me convince her to meet me in my room later that night, and he had a whore waiting for me in there. Not exactly what I was expecting, but definitely a hell of a way to piss her off. And I figured, why not. At least getting drunk and getting laid would be a temporary escape from the internal torment I had to deal with every waking moment. Well, Jessamine found out and of course she was pissed, she had every right to be." I paused to take in the look on Jessamine's face, she'd never actually heard my whole reasoning behind switching sides other than that I loved her. And she looked surprised and concerned. I looked down at the ground before going on.

"So of course, the next day she wanted nothing to do with me, she just wanted to be left alone with my employer. I almost said no right then, I should have. But instead I did my job, and I left. Do you have any idea what the weight of guilt can do to a man? Not just guilt over the actions I was taking at that moment, but also guilt over the past. How many people did I kill just because I didn't care, if I had known even half of them would I have still been able to kill them as easily? I had always thought the hardest part about my job was being stealthy, but I was wrong. The hardest part was living with the guilt after realizing that every single person who died by my hands was like her. So I broke. I couldn't do it anymore, I could hardly bear the weight of my previous sins; there was no way I'd ever be able to forgive myself for betraying the only person I'd ever loved when she needed me the most." It felt wrong to be telling them both all of this, but at the same time it was incredibly relieving. I peeked up at Jessamine again to see her staring at me, I wish I could tell what she was thinking but she was a blank slate. The surprise and concern that I had been able to read on her face a few moments ago had completely disappeared, along with any trace of emotion she might be currently feeling.

"So I went back, and I stopped it, and seeing her hurt from something I was able to stop in advance killed me inside. All she'd ever tried to do was show me love, and that's how I repaid her. So I got her away from him, I tried to do right by her even though I knew I'd never be able to reconcile the wrong I'd done. I expected her to want to have me killed, or at least punished, and I deserved it. I deserved it so much part of me wanted that to happen, I deserved to pay for everything I'd done. But she surprised me, she knew exactly what I was, and she knew what I'd done, and she still chose not only to forgive me; but she gave me an another chance. She put her trust in me, and I didn't want to let her down ever again. Even after all of that, she still wanted to be with me, but she deserved better. I'm not a good person, I don't deserve to have anyone to warm my bed at night. I mean, not only am I an ex-murderer, I'm a sick bastard in the bedroom. I knew without a doubt that she deserved better even though she was the only one I wanted, and she was trying to give me everything I could have ever asked for and more," I continued the story that Dorothea had requested but I felt like I was just telling Jessamine. She hadn't looked away as I had continued explaining everything, and it almost looked like she felt bad for me. I went on, still staring Jessamine in the eyes even though they were still unreadable.

"But I knew how messed up I was, and I didn't want to condemn her to having to put up with my unusual ways. I knew that after she was with me, if she later decided that this wasn't right for her; her chances of finding someone who was right... someone who would treat her the way she deserved would dwindle significantly. So I showed her what being with me would be like, I wanted to warn her before she did something she couldn't go back on. Regardless of how much I wanted her, I wanted… I needed her to be happy. Even if that meant watching her grow old with a different man. And even after learning that I still wasn't that great of a person, she said she wanted me, and I still considered telling her no. Then I realized at that point I was hurting her more, and I'm so tired of hurting people, especially her. So here we all are, and from the moment I said yes until the moment you interrupted us was by far the happiest I had ever been in my life. Because she loves me, and I can finally stop hiding the fact that I love her too. And at this point I just want to do right by her, I don't want to let her down." I looked away from Jessamine as I watched her wipe a tear from her face. The expression on Dorothea's face had softened significantly, and she didn't seem as entirely biased against me anymore.

"Do you mean all of that?" Dorothea asked, still not entirely trusting me.

"You think I could have just made that all up off the top of my head?" I answered. I was tired of explaining myself to everyone.

"Fair enough…" she replied before turning to Jessamine. "You were right, he's not what I thought he was. I'll give you my blessing or whatever," she said offhandedly. I watched as Jessamine stood up and walked her over to the door to her chambers. They whispered softly for a few moments before Dorothea walked out. I watched Jessamine keenly as she turned around and walked over to me, she crawled onto the bed and curled up next to me wrapping her arms around my torso and laying her head on my chest. I swallowed nervously, I'd never seen her like this and I was a little concerned what she thought of me now that she knew so much more about me.

"I think you need to learn how to forgive yourself," she said softly after a few agonizingly long moments of silence. I was relieved that she finally just said something and it gave me the courage to wrap my arms around her and pull her closer.

"I can't," I replied quietly, as I looked down at her and she stared back up at me.

"You can't or you won't?" She questioned as she sat up straight and stared me down, clearly trying to answer that question for herself.

"Both," I answered as I searched her eyes for what she was thinking. I wasn't expecting her to lean forward and kiss me. I also wasn't expecting the surge of warmth it gave me, that same overpowering feeling of giddiness I had felt before we had been interrupted.

"If you have that big of a problem with your past, you can change. You don't have to kill anyone, that should always be a last resort," she told me as she pulled away from kissing me. And she had a point; although I doubted I'd be able to hold my position and never have to take another persons life, I could always treat it as a last resort instead of my go-to option. It would make my job a little harder but it would be worth it in the long run. She didn't wait for my response before she started kissing me again. This time, when she pulled away, she started kissing down my neck and I let out a shaky breath as I tilted my head so she had better access to continue planting little kisses down my pulse line. She kissed her way back up before kissing my cheek and pulling away. The look she gave me basically said: "Let me help you". And lord only knew how badly I did need her help. And I was going to be better, for her. She deserved better.

"You're right. I'm done killing."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yay an update! Sorry for the delay, college deadlines caught up to me! Thank you to GhostAssassin1993 and the three guests who reviewed last chapter! I always love feedback! And once again I need to thank my beta reader MissSharpenedSpikes who is an indispensable partner in helping get these chapters out! So I'm clearly going for more of a low-chaos Corvo (the low-chaos ending was waaayyy better than the high-chaos ending IMO). Anyways, hope you all have a great week until I get the next chapter out!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Father Knows

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER

* * *

I smiled up at Corvo as he led me through the city streets toward Dorothea's house. It had taken a bit of persuasion, but I had gotten her to agree with getting us both some commoner clothing with some money I gave her, and letting us change at her house so we could actually go into town without anyone watching our every move. Corvo wanted to court me, but he couldn't do so when he had to act indifferent to me in front of everyone. With this set-up, he'd finally be able to do what he wanted. He knocked on Dorothea's door and as we stood there under her inning, I wanted to lean up and kiss him, but I couldn't...not yet. She finally opened the door and let us in with a hefty eye roll and a sigh. I led Corvo inside and she closed the door behind us.

"You're so lucky you have a friend like me," she reminded me before turning to Corvo. "And if you take good care of her tonight, I might just start liking you," she told him before stalking into her entertaining room and throwing a mess of clothes at me, then Corvo.

"You like me a little bit," Corvo told her as he walked past her and into her powder room to change. I chuckled and she glared over at me, if looks could kill hers would have slapped me.

"What? I know for a fact you don't dislike him," I stated as I started to pull off my long sleeve black shirt, ignoring the slightly cold air as it hit my skin.

"He's still scary," she defended as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. I pulled on the plaid blue and white shirt she had gotten me and started buttoning it up before I replied.

"I find it kind of alluring. Maybe I never knew my type is bad boys," I joked with her causing her to laugh for a moment as I finished buttoning up the new shirt and kicked off my shoes.

"Really though, how has he been lately?" she asked as I shrugged out of my black pants and grabbed the light tan ones she'd picked up for me.

"He's been great. A little annoying, but whatever," I complained as I shrugged into the new pants.

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously as she sat on one of her couches.

"Well…he's just being too much of a gentleman. I really want to make love with him and every time I bring it up he laughs, and tells me to be patient, not to rush into things, to enjoy the moment… blah blah," I complained as I buttoned up the pants and grabbed the black vest that was laying on the arm of the couch.

"I like him a bit more after that," she laughed before continuing. "Really though, Jess, he's right. I mean, making love is wonderful when you're with the right person but everything gets a little bland after a while. But the chase, and the fall; those are actually really exciting and enjoyable. If I were you I'd let him court me for as long as he'd like, it's the best part of the relationship, if you ask me," she told me as I buttoned up my vest and quickly threw my hair back in a sloppy braid.

"Ugh, you sound just like him," I grumbled as I slipped on the shoes and sat down next to her.

"I'm not saying don't make love. I'm just saying learn to enjoy every phase of a relationship, they're all equally important. And when you do finally make love I expect to hear all about it," She replied before poking me in the ribs, purposely trying to tickle me.

"Alright, alright!" I squealed as I slapped her hands away. She ignored my protests and continued to try, and succeed in tickling me.

"Look at that, I'm gone for five minutes and you're already getting yourself beat up." I heard Corvo's voice behind me before he lifted me into the air, and over the back of the couch before putting me down. It seemed like no matter what he was wearing he always managed to take my breath away. Dorothea had gotten him a very similar outfit just in different colors; maroon and tan instead of blue and white. I had to admit that although I preferred his new black and gold uniform, he was still roguishly handsome even in normal clothes.

"C'mon, let's go!" I said as I grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards the back door. He chuckled as he followed behind me, letting me drag him away.

"Be safe!" Dorothea yelled after us as we closed the back door behind us.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I turned around and looked back up at him. He smiled broadly before leaning down and kissing me. I lost myself in the kiss instantly. It was easy to let everything else slip aside when Corvo's slightly chapped lips were stealing my breath away. Before I wanted it to end he had pulled away though, leaving me breathless and wanting more.

"I had a few places in mind," he replied as he pulled me down the alley and rounded the corner into the street. I was initially nervous to be holding Corvo's hand while surrounded by people, but none of them seemed to notice who we were and I felt much calmer immediately. I was so happy to finally be able to touch him in public. It killed me a little always having to act indifferent in public. We walked in silence for a while as I wondered if we'd always have to act in front of everyone, or if perhaps one day he'd agree to step down from his position. However, if he did ever marry me he'd take the throne from me as well and I knew deep down that he'd never be truly comfortable on the throne; Corvo was a warrior, not a stuffy lawmaker, he would go crazy on the throne. I certainly didn't want to act for the rest of my life, but I also didn't want to force Corvo into a position where he'd never be comfortable. I looked up at him for a few moment. It didn't pass me by how even when he was relaxed his eyes always scanned the crowd for danger; being a fighter had been ingrained into his being, it was just a part of who he was now. I shook my head softly as I forced myself out of my current thoughts, they were worries for a different time.

"What's your favorite color?" I asked, trying to make small talk. Whenever we were alone I was usually too busy trying to rip his clothes off, or kissing him, or asking him about his past to ask him about the little things; despite forgetting to ask him about such things I was still curious, and I still wanted the answers to the inessential questions.

"That seems trivial," he replied as he led us up the street towards the more aristocratic side of town. I wondered what he was planning on doing for a moment until I remembered he was waiting for my response.

"Maybe I want to know all the little things about you," I replied just before tripping on a crack in the walkway. He caught me with ease and helped me regain my balance, chuckling as he bent down so we were level; I blushed at the ground for a moment, I was normally fairly graceful but I was just falling apart today.

"You're quite clumsy," he noted as he poked my nose. "Blue," he finally answered my question as he stood all the way back up and took my hand again. "Yours?" he asked as he continued to lead us down the road.

"Green," I replied. "Why blue?" I asked as I peered up at him curiously. He shrugged before replying.

"It's the color of the ocean, the sky…your eyes," he finished as he winked at me, giving me those butterflies that he was notorious for. "Why green?" he asked as he pulled us toward a shop on the other side of the street, I was busy thinking of the answer to his question and I didn't think to look where he was taking us.

"Plants," I replied lamely, unable to think of any other reason I liked the color as he opened the door to the shop for me.

"You're so strange," he chuckled as he followed me inside. It was a bookstore, and I was actually a little touched that he paid enough attention to know that I liked books. The shopkeeper looked up for a moment before going back to his papers without greeting us. I made my way between the rows of books running my fingers along the leather-bound spines.

"What's your favorite book?" I asked as I pulled one off the shelf and slowly flipped through the heavy tan pages.

"Jessie, I don't really read," Corvo answered as I placed it back on the shelf.

"You can't read?" I asked shocked. He shook his head and chuckled.

"I can. I just don't," he replied as he walked behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me into him. I forced myself to try and ignore the sudden surge of warmth inside me from his touch, our predicament didn't exactly allow for Corvo to be all that affectionate with me...especially in public, and all of this was so new to me.

"You should. It's fun," I replied as he started another wave of butterflies inside me as he kissed the top of my head.

"Hmm…what's good?" he asked, his breath warming the back of my neck just before he nibbled on the top of my ear. I tried and only partially succeeded in holding back a small wave of shivers, he didn't seem to realize that he was the cause of those shivers though, because his hands ran up and down my arms a few times in an attempt to warm me up a bit more. I wiggled away from him trying to hold in my giggles. I made my way down the next aisle of books as I looked for something he'd like. I tried to hold in laughter as I picked up one of the most well-known books in Gristol off the shelf.

"Want to read a tale of two forbidden lovers? It get's pretty steamy," I asked playfully as I handed it to him.

"The Young Prince of Tyvia," he read the title. "Why are they forbidden?" he asked as he looked back up at me inquisitively.

"Because they're both men," I whispered playfully and laughed as he replied.

"Oh, I've always wanted to read gay porn. You know me so well. I'll cherish it until the end of my days," He joked as he pulled the book into his chest. I continued along the row of as I heard him put the book back where I pulled it from.

"You might actually like this one. It's about discovering new planets," I said as I pulled the first volume of Call of Spheres from the shelf and handed it to him.

"You really are serious about getting me to read a book for pleasure aren't you?" he inquired as he flipped through it and stopped at a random page, I watched his eyes flick across the page as he read it.

"Of course I am," I replied as he closed the book after reading a page.

"There are a lot of other pleasurable things I could occupy my time with as well," Corvo noted. His voice husky and his eyes smoldering into mine, I had a hard time thinking of what to say when he looked at me like that, "If you're making me get a book you're getting one too," he said as I finally started to get a grip of myself again.

"Alright," I replied as I continued down the aisle until I saw a copy of Daughter of Tyvia and pulled it off the shelf. I'd heard good things about it from Esma, it was technically a playwright but I'd still enjoy it. "Here, I've wanted to read this for a while," I said as I handed it to Corvo and he smiled before kissing my cheek and making his way toward the shopkeeper to pay for the books. I followed him to the front of the store and watched the shopkeeper peek over the rim of his glasses before putting his book down and pulling the books toward himself.

He looked over the titles for a moment before speaking, "Twenty coins." was all he said as he wrapped the books in brown paper and tied them with twine. I watched Corvo pull two tens out of his pocket and lay them on the counter. I often forgot that father actually paid him for being my Lord Protector, it's not like he had anything to spend the money he made on; his job came with free board, clothes, and food. The shopkeeper said nothing more as he took the coins and resumed reading his book. Corvo grabbed the books and took my hand before pulling me back out onto the street with him.

"So, what's your favorite book?" he asked me as he wrapped his free hand around my waist pulling me close into his side, causing me to blush once again. I'd never really thought of Corvo being the type of man to blatantly show affection in public, society was quite a bit biased against physical intimacy; I rarely even saw husbands and wives hold hands in public. However Corvo didn't seem to care about what society thought, and when I did catch an older aristocrat glare at him for a slight moment Corvo gave him a look that dared him to come say something. I did feel incredibly safe in the city with Corvo, nobody dared bother him; he still looked intimidating even when he wasn't wearing his imperial uniform. I forgot once again that he was awaiting an answer until he looked down at me, clearly waiting for me to say something.

"The Young Prince of Tyvia," I joked as I attempted, and failed to tickle his side.

"It would be, you little deviant," He huffed as he rolled his eyes at me.

"It's actually Spirit of the Deep," I answered as I looked down the street trying to see where we were headed next.

"Maybe I'll steal your copy," Corvo replied easily. That's when I saw the small gray and brown blurs down the street and I could hardly wait to run over and pet one.

"Oh my gosh, Corvo! Puppies!" I yelled as I grabbed his hand and pulled him forward as hard as I could, he laughed as I dragged him toward to the young child that was trying to sell them. A few of them ran up to me as I stopped and I bent down to pet their wiggly little bodies. "I've only ever seen the working hounds the Overseers have. I never get to touch them though," I complained as the puppies licked and chewed on my hands. I looked up at Corvo to see him smiling down at me warmly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Part of me wished I could get one, but it was easy to write off a new book; it was impossible to hide a puppy.

"What is it?" I asked when I saw his smile turn into an anxious look. I stood up and turned towards what he was looking at to see my father walking with Hugh and two members of the parliament, and all four of them were heading our way. My father noticed us immediately and smiled and winked at us. Hugh was second, he did a double take as he realized who we were, and I couldn't help but notice how his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared Corvo down. The two parliament members thankfully didn't seem to recognize either of us. As the four of them made their way to where we were I swallowed nervously. My father hadn't seemed against the idea of Corvo and I being together back at his promotion ceremony, but that didn't mean he'd accept that we were running around the city incognito.

"Euhorn, aren't you at all concerned about your daughter and that Lord Protector. They seem very…close," One of the parliament members said as they stopped by the puppies, and they ran from me over to them.

"No. She's a grown woman, she can make her own choices. Besides, I'm quite fond of the lad," My father said as he leaned down and picked up one of the puppies as it wiggled and squirmed in his arms. I glanced over at Hugh once again to see that he was still staring Corvo down almost disapprovingly, he seemed to notice I was staring at him though; he looked over at me for a moment, quirking his brow as though to say 'do you know what you're doing'.

"He means, what if they started sleeping together," The other man from parliament said as he glared down at the child selling the pups. I couldn't help but wonder why parliament members were always in such foul moods.

"Sirs you are overstepping your boundaries. Even I don't mettle in my daughter's affairs the way that you gentleman are currently trying to. I wouldn't care if they were sleeping together. But then again, I'm not as superficially judgmental of others as you are," My father reprimanded them sternly, the way he would every time he lectured me.

"But it's forbidden," The first man piped in unwisely.

"Are you going to stop her? Because I'm not, and you know you couldn't either regardless of how you might want to. It's hard to cause a riot over love, good luck toppling the throne without the backing of the vast majority of commoners, you're the minority in this city," My father warned, his voice low and level. That's always how I knew he was truly mad. "Now are you going to start talking business or are you going to excuse yourself?" He asked as he handed a fifty piece to the child who was only asking twenty. I watched the child's eyes grow wide before he bowed to my father. My father turned to face me, both glowering men and Hugh following him. One of the parliament men glowered at me, and the other scowled at the ground; Hugh was staring Corvo down with disapproval once again.

"Have a good Month of Rain," My father said as he handed me the puppy, I stood there wide eyed for a moment worried and confused.

"Uh, th—thank you, your majesty," I stammered as I reminded myself that I wasn't currently a princess, I was a commoner. I curtsied and Corvo bowed behind me.

"Take good care of those two," My father said to Corvo as he patted his back and walked away, the parliament members and Hugh following after him.

"What just happened?" Corvo asked, his voice still full of worry even though they were all far enough away from us now for us to talk normally.

"I think I just got a puppy…" I trailed off as I looked the small ball of fur in the face before it started licking me. I giggled as it wiggled in my hands, trying to free itself.

"I meant the fact that your father clearly just saw and noticed us both, and pretended like we weren't there," Corvo stated as I forced myself to look away from my new pet and at my lover.

"Oh, he gave me his blessing to be with you after your promotion ceremony. And I'm pretty sure he just gave you his personal blessing to be with me, at least that's what I got from the whole 'take care of them' thing. But that's not what matters… I have a puppy," I said. The smile on my face growing as I held it up to face him, it wiggled in my hands as it tried to lick him.

"Jessamine. Be serious for a moment," Corvo laughed as he dragged me a little ways away from the child and his remaining pups.

"Yes?" I asked as I placed the puppy on the ground where it started attacking Corvo's foot, he ignored it as it chewed happily on his boot.

"Did your father really give you his blessing?" he asked seriously as he tilted my head up so I looked him in the eyes.

"Yes," I replied, still not understanding what the big deal was.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, bewildered but also happy.

"It didn't seem important," I replied with a shrug.

"You're such a ninny," Corvo said before picking me up in his arms and spinning me around a few times, the pup running around his feet yapping loudly. I laughed as he put me back down but he silenced me quickly with a kiss, and my laugh turned into a moan as he pulled me tight against him. When he finally pulled away I was breathless.

"I'm not sure how I got this lucky," he said as he let go of his tight hold on me. I glanced over at where my father and his entourage had gone off to. I saw that both my father and Hugh had just seen Corvo kiss me, but also that my father didn't seem to care in the slightest as he smiled and turned away; Hugh however still seemed very disappointed in Corvo, and I couldn't help but wonder why. I had to admit I was slightly worried now, my father seemed to be taking the new knowledge of our relationship well... but I didn't know how long that would last for.

"Come on. Let's drop off the fluff ball at Dorothea's. I was looking forward to taking you to dinner," Corvo said as he picked up the puppy in his free hand and handed it to me. We walked to Dorothea's in silence as I tried to calm the hyperactive pup in my arms. I finally broke the silence as we approached the back door of Dorothea's house.

"She's a girl. What should I call her?" I asked as the puppy calmed down in my arms.

"I'm not good at naming things Jessie," Corvo replied as he opened the back door to Dorothea's house.

"Ugh, fine. Next time I'm making you name whatever it is though," I grumbled as I let the pup down and it scampered around on the floor. "I'm going to call her Nika," I said just as Dorothea walked into the room.

"You got a dog?" she questioned as the pup ran over to her, sniffing her feet before attacking them enthusiastically.

"My father did actually," I replied as Corvo set the books down on the counter next to him.

"You ran into your dad!? He saw you!?" Dorothea nearly yelled. She was clearly shocked and I couldn't blame her. It could have potentially been a very bad thing. My father could have scolded us right there in front of those two parliament men, Hugh could have spoken up instead of choosing to remain silent; the parliament could have found out that we were in a relationship and they could have petitioned to have Corvo removed from his position. Granted no one could force me to sign a decree releasing him from his duties, they could however make passing any new laws a nightmare for both my father and eventually myself.

"He doesn't care. We're going out for dinner. We'll be back soon, thanks for watching Nika," I yelled through the crack of the back door as I slipped out pulling Corvo with me.

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 **A/N:** A big thank you to my beta reader MissSharpenedSpikes! She always catches the little errors I miss after editing a chapter!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Once again, sorry for the big update gap! I'll try to get 2-3 chapters uploaded this week. College kills xP lol. This chapter wasn't Beta edited, my beta reader is currently on hiatus however they will hopefully be back in early September; apologies in advance for any small grammar or spelling errors you may find. I proof-read a few extra times since I didn't have my beta's help. Also, thank you to GhostAssassin1993 and ColoticRC for your reviews, I love input!

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Chapter 22: If You Hurt my Little Girl

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We walked in comfortable silence, hand in hand while I led Jessamine downtown into the not as rich neighborhood. I was still coming to terms with the fact that her father…the Emperor knew what we were doing and he didn't seem to care. Granted I'd never quite gotten the chance to know the man, but every time I had been with him he hadn't seemed like the most accepting father ever. And despite Jessamine's admission that her father had apparently given her his blessing to be with me, and also his incredibly recent blessing to me as well, I was still concerned. Concerned because I was pursuing the most powerful man in the Empire's daughter. I was lost in my thoughts when the sky finally decided it couldn't bear it's load anymore, and a heavy downpour began to fall on us; thick rivulets of water flowing down the street just as quickly as it had started raining.

"Ahh, Corvo!" Jessamine squealed as she tried to shield herself using my arm. However, even the slight cover I gave her wasn't enough to stop her from quickly becoming drenched in water. We walked in silence for a few more blocks as the rain continued to fall, and each time I glanced down to find that Jessamine was quite adorable when she was drenched to the bone in water.

"We're almost there, it's right around the next corner," I advised her. She let go of my arm and started running off towards the corner of the street like a madman.

"Jessie!" I yelled after her. I jogged to catch up to her she rounded the corner before me; and when I caught up she was stopped, staring up at two dark looking men.

"What's a little thing like you doing all alone out here?" I heard one of them ask just before I placed my hand on her shoulder. She was startled initially, until she looked behind herself at me, and quickly hid behind me. Jessamine was normally a very outgoing person, I had no doubt that she wouldn't have hid behind me if she wasn't at least a little scared of those two. And I felt much more protective of her when she was seeking shelter behind me for safety.

"Can I help you fellows?" I asked the two men, my voice icy. I purposely stared them down with all the hate inside of me, nobody got to touch my princess...not over my dead body.

"No…we were just making sure your…" the man who spoke up trailed off, clearly wanting to know what Jessamine was to me.

"Wife," I growled, finishing his sentence for him. I ignored Jessamine as I felt her look up at me, and I tried not to get mad at the disappointed look on the other men's faces. I knew their kind all too well, the kind of men who would take advantage of anyone if they thought they could get away with it; and I had no doubt that if I wasn't with Jessamine they would have tried to take advantage of her as well.

"Just making sure that your wife wasn't in any trouble. We'll be on our way," the man finished before the two of them turned away and walked off. I stood there in silence for a few moments as I watched their backs disappear as they walked down an adjacent street, Jessamine broke the silence after a short period though.

"I'm not your wife," Jessamine stated as she moved to stand in front of me. She was right, she wasn't my wife and I had stepped out of line telling them that; however I had managed to avoid a fight, which had to count for something.

"Well, they don't know that," I replied as I opened the door to the pub for her. She looked like she was going to protest for a few short moments, but instead chose to walk in, leaving me to follow after her. I trailed behind her as a waitress bounced up to greet us, asking us a few preliminary questions before leading us to a booth and leaving us to decide what to order in peace. We were both silent for a while as we looked over the small menu, the whole time I was wondering how Jessamine felt about me lying about our relationship.

"Why would you tell them that I was your wife though?" Jessamine asked bringing the men back up, and the topic that I had been mulling over for the last few moments.

"Because, some people respect another man's property more than they respect a woman's body," I answered slowly, I hoped I hadn't insulted her; it certainly didn't appear as though I had. Another small lapse of silence fell between us for a brief moment and I forced myself to focus on the moment. I decided to just get an ale and some soup, I was freezing and drenched. Jessamine didn't say anything for a long while as she studied the menu, and finally the waitress came back over to take our orders.

"Are we ready?" She asked, much too happy to be working at this small pub.

"We are, may I have some clam chowder?" Jessamine requested, and the waitress nodded while scribbling down her order before looking at me.

"I'll have the same. Just throw in a pint," I told her as I handed her our menus and she took them before scrambling off, leaving Jessamine and me alone once again.

"You're having alcohol?" Jessamine questioned as she played with her hands, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I?" I asked slightly perplexed as I reached out and took her hand in mine; her hands were freezing and I rubbed them for a brief moment, in hopes that I might be able to warm her up at least a little bit.

"I don't know… Just the last time you got drunk you were pushy and kind of scary," Jessamine admitted as she started to trace the lines on my palm with the pads of her fingers. Her words reminded me of the incident back on Serkonos, and I felt a wave of guilt rack my body for a brief moment before it subsided. I had been far from a gentleman that night, and sadly I knew that if she hadn't ordered me to stop not once, but twice, that I would have had my wicked ways with her right then.

"I'm not getting drunk, I'm having **a** drink, there's a big difference. And I'm sorry, my actions back then were unwarranted. I only hope that you'll find the ability to forgive me for that night." I replied sadly, Jessamine did truly deserve someone who was better than me. Before I could drift too far into my own dark thoughts the waitress dropped off my pint, then left just as quickly as she'd arrived.

"I've already forgiven you for that night. I've already forgiven you for everything..." Jessamine trailed off as I took a sip of my ale and tried to ignore the warm feeling those words gave me. "Corvo, why are so many city people always trying to harass me?" She asked as she looked up at me, I wasn't expecting the question but it also didn't surprise me. She did seem to be a magnet for trouble, or maybe that was me...

"It's because you're the future Empress," I replied slightly confused as I set my ale down, the answer seemed apparent to me. She was silent for a few more moments while the waitress dropped off our food, and disappeared after quickly making sure everything was still alright.

"Those men didn't know who I was," Jessamine stated as she let go of my hand and pulled one of the bowls closer before dipping her spoon in it. She was right, those men didn't know who she was, but they knew she was helpless and that was good enough for them...

"That was because you're a beautiful young woman, and the city isn't the safest place for someone like you," I responded as I watched her take a bite, then decided to try it for myself. As I chewed quietly I thought once again of what could have happened to Jessamine if I hadn't been there, the thought of someone hurting her made my stomach churn.

"Why is everyone always trying to hurt me?" Jessamine asked softly as she took another bite, effectively pulling me back into the present.

"Because they think they can get away with it," I answered before continuing with my meal. Jessamine did look like someone who was defenseless, and I knew for a fact that was mostly true, she wasn't a fighter she was a lady.

"Thank you," Jessamine offered after a long moment of silence.

"For what?" I questioned. I was slightly confused, I hadn't done anything that deserved her thanks.

"For protecting me," She answered before shivering violently. I knew Jessamine was probably freezing, and I couldn't help but feel bad for her; I stood up and moved to the other side of the table, pulling her into me and attempting to warm her up a bit. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders before kissing her wet hair, she shivered once again, I assumed for the same reasons as before.

"Jessamine, that's my job. The word protector is literally in the title," I reminded her as I removed my arm and pulled my food to the side of the table I now sat on. She didn't have to thank me for doing what her father paid me for; even if I didn't love her I'd still take care of her, because those were my orders.

"It wasn't always your job and you still did it back then," She noted softly before eating some more. I couldn't help but scowl slightly at the reminder of what I almost let happen to her, I had been a monster back then...even to this day I wasn't sure if I was actually a better man. I didn't feel any different, I still wanted to fight even if I didn't necessarily want to kill anyone else. Maybe I was getting better...but only time would be able to tell if that was actually the case of not. I didn't know what to say to her, so I chose to stay silent and focused on my food instead.

"Corvo, why do you like me?" Jessamine inquired when we were both done with our meal and were just waiting on the bill. Her question surprised me, did she really not understand what I enjoyed so much about her?

"I don't like you. I love you," I answered as the waitress dropped off the ticket and took our dishes before leaving once again.

"Then why do you love me?" She asked as I dropped a few coins on the table and stood up, pulling her with me.

"Because you're everything that I'm not," I replied as I opened the door of the pub to see that the rain had turned into a slight drizzle. I decided it would be fine enough to walk the few blocks back to Dorothea's house in that weather, besides if we stayed out much longer someone might notice our absence back at the tower.

"What do you mean?" Jessamine questioned as she reached out and held my hand as we made our way back. Her small hands slightly warmer than they had been back in the pub.

"You're trusting, and forgiving, and you're pure hearted...you wouldn't hurt a thing," I rambled off a few things that drew me toward her. She seemed to think on them for a moment and I couldn't help but ask, "Besides, why do you like me?". It was a question that I was actually curious to have answered, I had every reason in the world to love her...she didn't have a reason to love me, I was quite a despicable person.

"I don't like you, I love you," Jessamine replied, mockingly drawing out the word love.

"Then why do you love me?" I questioned mockingly back.

"Because you saved me when you weren't supposed to, you're quite smart, you stand up for me when no one else will…and I know you're a good person even if you don't think so," She answered before leaning up and whispering in my ear. "And being really sexy doesn't hurt," She giggled as she tried to run off ahead of me. I grabbed her by the waist before she could get away and threw her over my shoulder, ignoring her protests as she struggled in my arms for a few moments before realizing that her efforts were futile. I'm not sure how many times I ignored her as she compelled me to put her down while I made my way back to Dorothea's, the whole time though I was wondering how much of me being a good person she based solely on the fact that I had done the right thing in my life for once. I certainly didn't believe that I was a good person, but if it was what she wanted to believe I wasn't going to argue the point.

* * *

ONE HOUR LATER

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It had taken us longer than I wished to get back inside the tower. I let Jessamine wear my heavy leather coat once the rain started coming down again, it was basically waterproof and she needed it more than I did. She was hiding the wolfhound and the books somewhere inside there too. And I tried, and failed a few times, to hold back laughter every time she stumbled on the bottom hem of the coat; catching her each time before she could trip. We were almost back to her chambers when her father walked out of his office.

"Corvo, may I have a word?" The Emperor asked as we walked past him, we both stopped at his request. I swallowed nervously, I had been worried about this; I had no doubt that Hugh was probably in his office just waiting to try to intimidate me away from Jessamine.

"Of course your majesty," I replied, forcing myself to keep calm. I followed him into his office, Jessamine trailing behind me. I was slightly surprised, and also incredibly relieved, to find that Hugh was nowhere around.

"A word with him alone Jessamine," Her father ordered her pointedly. Jessamine opened her mouth to say something but decided against it and walked away, leaving me alone with her father. He was silent for a while as he sat at his desk and looked over some paperwork before addressing me again. "So, you and my daughter…how did that come to be?".

"She's different than other women I've spent time with, and when she wants something…or someone, she's very persistent," I answered his question carefully, making sure I wouldn't say anything that could tip him off to my previous occupation.

"So you two have…" he trailed off looking at me as if I knew what he was hinting at, apparently the lapse of silence and my confused face made him continue, "consummated?"

"No," I replied almost immediately. Why was he even asking me this? Even if we had already I had sex I probably would have lied, it wouldn't be wise to tell the most powerful man in the Empire that you slept with his daughter before going through the common courtesy of marrying her.

"Interesting. May I ask why not?" He questioned as he leaned back and folded his hands over his desk. Watching me critically, clearly looking for any slip-up in my demeanor or words.

"Your majesty—"

"Call me Euhorn," He cut me off, I took a deep breath before continuing.

"Euhorn, we've only been together for a week. Good things take time. I'm trying to be a gentleman," I answered. I briefly wondered why he cared and what it meant to him, other than that she was his daughter and he wanted to look out for her. I couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed by his interrogation, I had literally just heard him say how he didn't meddle in his daughter's affairs, yet here he was...meddling.

"Do you love her?" Euhorn asked almost calculatedly, watching me like a hunter watches his prey, and I couldn't help but feel bitter over the fact that was even a question. Of course I loved her, I loved her enough to give up the only way of life I'd ever known just for the slight chance that I might get to spend my life with her. I destroyed my sparkling reputation for her...I was a wanted man for her.

"I do. I'd die for her. She makes me incredibly happy, which is something I haven't been for the last decade at the very least." I replied a bit too dryly to be speaking to the Emperor but I was incredibly annoyed. Annoyed that he assumed I'd pursued Jessamine out of some lusty desire...I mean, that was part of it but she held something else over me than just lust.

"Did you know her mother was a commoner? I remember when I was just a nobleman like yourself, and I had to sneak around to see her without the rest of my parliament brothers finding out. I married her right after I became Emperor, but I'll never forget how I had to slink around to be with her at one point. You two remind me of us quite a bit actually," He paused his short story before continuing. "If you'd ever like to, you two could take a vacation together. I have a cabin in Potterstead. Her mother and I used to go all the time before we were married; you know if you'd ever like some alone time, it's a great place to get some," He offered, seeming to ignore the tone I'd taken up with him a few moments before. Part of me couldn't believe that the Emperor had married a commoner, the other part was still trying to decipher the fact that he'd basically just given me permission to take his daughter on a vacation to do nothing but have sex for a few days. Was this the same Emperor who'd hired me on as Jessamine's bodyguard? He had been significantly more approachable ever since my promotion, but this still seemed like too much for him.

"Thank you for the generous offer Euhorn. Perhaps later, after we've had more time with each other I'll take you up on it," I replied, I was sure we would eventually take him up on that offer if he let it remain standing. However, I needed more time to make sure that Jessamine loved me, I didn't doubt that she had feelings for me; I just doubted whether or not she knew the difference between love and lust. When I was her age I'd considered them to be one in the same, it had taken me a few years to realize that they were entirely different entities.

"Hugh was quite annoyed when he recognized that you were pursuing her," Euhorn stated very matter of factly. It hadn't escaped me the way his Royal Protector had glared at me back on the street. "He was very disappointed that you were failing you 'duties'. You are aware how incredibly illegal it is for you two to be together while you hold this position correct?" Euhorn questioned me, waiting patiently for my response.

"Yes, I'm well aware," I replied as I stared at the ground for a few moments. Breaking the law was not a new thing to me, what was new was confessing to knowingly breaking the law to the Emperor.

"Hugh wanted to come to light with the new information of you two. I persuaded him not to, he's a very law based man, he feel's like you're defiling the position." Euhorn advised me, clearly feeling the need to let me know how his Royal Protector felt about me. I didn't want to fight Hugh again, the last time we'd fought he'd nearly killed me. He was one of the few people who was actually skilled enough to best me in combat, and I respected him deeply for that.

"That is not my intention in any form," I explained to Euhorn quickly. I wasn't looking to harm the image of my position, however it seemed as though that's exactly what Hugh believed I was doing.

"I know. Don't worry, he'll keep quiet. I do suggest you have a few words with him in private though. You might be able to make him see your side of things." Euhorn advised, and I knew it would be foolish to shirk his wisdom. He'd known his Lord Protector for years, I'd known him for a few months.

"I'll be sure to speak with him soon then," I replied. I knew Dorothea and Euhorn would keep quiet about what Jessamine and I were doing, I needed to be able to expect the same from Hugh. I definitely didn't want to be on that man's shit list.

"Alright. Well, I best let you get going. Don't want to keep her waiting do you?" Euhorn stated as he waved me away, "Oh and Corvo, if you ever hurt her in any way I will make you pay. I will break you in every way possible: mentally, physically, spiritually..." He threatened right before I walked out of his office. I paused to look back at him, I didn't doubt the sincerity of his threat...I did doubt whether or not he would be able to take me on though; however, he did have Hugh to take care of his dirty work for him. "I mean that...I don't issue warnings lightly," He added as I stared at him for a few moments longer than necessary.

"Understood sir," I replied before closing the door behind me.

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A FEW MOMENTS LATER

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"I was worried about you," Jessamine said as I walked into her chambers and started pulling off my heavy armor, I noticed that she had already hung my coat up to dry and changed into a nightgown. Why would she worry about me? She knew that I could handle myself.

"I'm fine," I replied as I walked past where she sat on her bed and into my chambers so I could remove my wet clothes.

"What did my father want?" She asked as her new pet started running in circles around my feet, following me into my chambers while I tossed my heavy armor onto my small bed.

"He asked me about you, and about us. And then he offered to let me take you away and have my way with you," I answered teasingly as she stood in the doorway separating our chambers. I immediately noticed the look of surprise that gave her, and I couldn't help but wonder what she must be thinking.

"No he didn't!" She remarked, clearly still in disbelief that her father would say anything like that. And I couldn't blame her, I'd been in slight disbelief when he'd said that as well.

"Well…he sort of did," I replied as I pulled off my tie and started unbuttoning my damp vest.

"What did he say?" She inquired curiously as she closed the distance between us, resting her hands lightly on my hips.

"He said I could take you on a vacation if I'd like, to a different city in Gristol where he owns a cabin," I told her while she began to unbutton my long sleeve shirt, undoing each button with a certain amount of care.

"I think I'd like that," Jessamine replied as she pushed the shirt off my shoulders and ran her hands down my chest and abdomen. I could feel my dick begin to swell in anticipation as she touched me, I forced myself to ignore it though; I was a grown man I could control myself, and I would control myself, even if I didn't exactly want to.

"I think I would too," I stated softly before pulling the shirt the rest of the way off my arms and tossing it onto the bed with my other clothes. Before I could lean down to kiss her like I'd wanted to, she started unbuttoning my trousers and let them pool on the ground, leaving nothing but my thin boxers covering my slightly aroused manhood. I watched her eyes grow slightly larger as she took it all in, but when she reached down with her hand to grab me through the fabric I stopped her.

"Jessamine, what do you think you're trying to do?" I asked her gently as I took both of her hands in one of mine. I was having a hard enough forcing myself to act like a gentleman without her tempting me every single chance she got, it was almost like she enjoyed making things difficult for me.

"I just thought…now that you've courted me aren't we going to make love?" She questioned softly as she peered up at me. Her wide innocent eyes were the only thing really keeping me grounded and reminding me that I was doing the right thing; Jessamine needed a gentleman, not an assassin.

"Jessamine, I love you. And I'm not done courting you, not nearly. If you can promise me that you'll be patient and trust me with this, then I promise I'll make your first time as passionate and meaningful as I can," I answered as I ran my free hand along her cheek and into her soft damp hair.

"I trust you," She replied, her beautiful blue eyes staring deep into mine. Causing that extremely tight feeling in my chest that she'd been giving me all to frequently of late.

"Then go lay down, I'll join you in a moment," I requested as I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. She nodded and pulled away before walking off, her new dog chasing after her as she left. I heard her crawl under the blankets as I kicked off my boots and laid my damp pants on the bed to dry, I retrieved a dry pair and pulled them on before buttoning them up and walking over to her bed. Jessamine was cuddled up in the mounds of blankets the pup curled up by her feet, I couldn't help but smile softly as I pulled back the covers and crawled in next to her. I kissed the back of her neck and she giggled before squirming into me.

"Goodnight Corvo," She whispered as I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight against me.

"Goodnight Jessamine."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Proposition

* * *

ONE MONTH LATER

* * *

I woke slowly, reveling in the warmth of the man next to me. I rolled over to see him fast asleep, I considered just curling up and falling back asleep with him; but Nika whined loudly, telling me she wanted to go outside. I sighed heavily as I hefted myself out of bed, I wanted to stay in my warm bed with my lover but instead I forced myself to attend to Nika. I slipped into Corvo's jacket and pulled on some flats before taking Nika outside for about fifteen minutes. It had been a month since Corvo had taken me on our first date, and we'd been on about two or three a week ever since. I did enjoy it, but he was still avoiding sex and I was starting to become incredibly frustrated; I would have been able to tolerate the lack of intimacy if he wasn't constantly seducing me with his words and his body, just to pull away as soon as I started to really need him. However, if I did have to admit one thing, it was that I knew much more about him now than I did when we had first agreed to be with each other. I'd learned both good and bad things…well mostly bad things, about the person he used to be and I still wanted him, and I still loved him so what was he waiting for? He was driving me crazy.

Finally, Nika ran back over and I let her inside the tower, then we made our way back upstairs to my chambers. I ignored a few of the guard's glares over the fact that I was wearing the Lord Protectors jacket, it seemed at this point that the whole tower speculated that we were lovers. They weren't wrong, however, no one would explicitly say that we were in fact lovers unless they caught us in the act. No one was dumb enough to say something like that without proof. Despite outside speculation, we had both finally gotten to the point where we didn't exactly care if we walked too close to each other in public, or if we laughed together to openly, or if someone caught one of us staring at the other for longer than was socially acceptable. The only actions that Corvo was still uncomfortable with taking in public unless we weren't recognizable were actions that would immediately label us as lovers instead of just close friends; such as holding hands, and kissing.

I opened the door to my chambers and Nika ran in, jumping on the bed and licking Corvo awake; he grumbled as he tried to bat her away to no avail. He finally subdued her by trapping her under the blankets, where she squirmed and whined before finally breaking free and laying down on the floor. I laughed as I kicked off my shoes and jumped onto the bed with him, still wearing his coat.

"Good morning," I said brightly as I combed a hand through his disgruntled hair, smoothing it back in place with ease.

"Morning," He replied before pulling me over to kiss him. I melted into his kiss, letting my hands explore his defined torso and arms at their own accord. I loved that he always slept shirtless, I just wished he was a heavy sleeper; every time I woke up and started tracing his muscles he'd wake up too, then grumble at me incoherently before falling back asleep. Corvo pulled away from the kiss too quickly though, and I wanted more of him; I needed more of him.

"You should take off my jacket…you look too damn sexy in it," He growled playfully before pushing my messy hair behind my shoulders and kissing a trail down my neck. I tried to ignore the way his slightly chapped lips scratched my neck and the way his prickly five o'clock shadow caught on my skin; however, it was exactly those sensations that were causing that all too familiar pooling of heat in my stomach, and that was impossible to ignore.

"Why is that?" I asked slightly breathless as he continued to shower me with his affections.

"It's like putting your flag on a fortress you just conquered…except you're the fortress, and my jackets the flag," He breathed in my ear before grabbing my lobe with his teeth and tugging gently, causing me to gasp involuntarily. "Oh, that's right…I almost forgot you like the rough treatment. Maybe I should stop being so gentle," He whispered after gauging my response. I didn't know what to say, I was too flustered and my mind was too muddled by the feelings he was giving me; but he seemed to expect that as he easily pushed me onto the other side of the bed and started tickling me.

"Corvo! Stop! Please! No! Don't! Stop!" I shouted each word between a different fit of giggles, as his fingers continued to dig into my sides.

"Don't stop?" He questioned jokingly as he paused the ticking for a moment. "Well, your wish is my command princess," He finished before the ticking began once more. I squirmed under him in an attempt to escape, my attempts were in vain though.

"Corvo!" I yelled his name until he finally silenced me with a kiss and stopped his relentless tickling. I panted for breath under him as he peppered my jawline with several quick kisses.

"I have a proposal for you. I was thinking...if you'd like, perhaps we can take a trip to that cabin your father told me about a while ago," Corvo stated right after he pulled away from kissing me. Hovering directly over me as he straddled my body, his Lord Protector medal gently resting against my breast.

"Are we going to make love if we go down there?" I asked hopefully as I toyed with the medal around his neck. I wanted him so badly, I blamed it entirely on how much of a flirt he was. Constantly getting me all flustered just to deny me the same things he'd teased only moments prior.

"Jessamine. You ask me about love making at least three times a day. Why is your mind always in such naughty places?" He teased as I looked back up at his face. I glared up at him for a moment, which only caused him to smirk down at me.

"Because you're always saying such implied things, and kissing me, and tickling me and seducing me," I complained before trying to push him over to no avail. I continued my attempts to push him off of me when he spoke up.

"Fair enough. And yes, I was thinking that we could add love making to our itinerary if we went over there. In all honesty, I would have done so already if I thought you capable of being able to do so quietly," Corvo answered my previous question before resting on his elbows and closing most of the distance between us, making any attempts and pushing him off of me impossible. His admission caught me off guard, it had never exactly occurred to me that he probably wanted me just as much as I wanted him, he was just always so good at keeping his composure.

"What are you trying to say!? That you don't think I'm capable of being discreet?" I questioned, trying to act hurt. Corvo didn't fall for my faked offense instead, he just combed through my hair with a lazy hand before answering me.

"Oh, princess… if you can't even stop yourself from screaming my name when I'm tickling you, you won't be able to stop yourself while I'm making love to you," he whispered against my lips, I leaned up slightly closing the distance between us. His lips tender and lustful against mine, the need we both shared just barely contained by Corvo's strong self-will. He pulled away from me reluctantly, only doing so because he needed to take another breath.

"I think I would like to take a trip down there. However, more-so for the scenery than for you," I teased as I managed to push him off of me and onto his back next to me, a feat I only accomplished with his total compliance.

"I'm the best scenery you're going to get anywhere," He whispered with a wink as I straddled his hips, sitting up and crossing my arms over my chest. When sitting on his pelvis it was impossible to ignore that I could feel his hard member pressing against me. I didn't have time to attempt to seduce him before we were interrupted.

"Jessamine it's time for—dammit you two!" I heard Dorothea's voice cut through the room just before Nika started to run for the door. I turned my head to see her standing in my chamber looking peeved with her arms crossed, tapping her foot against the ground. Dorothea had still not learned the art of knocking despite my near constant requests that she do so before entering my chambers.

"It's all her. She's trying to seduce me. She ripped off my clothes and put them on to try to prove that she's the dominant one. Please don't let her rape me," Corvo pleaded with Dorothea from under me. They'd actually come to be decent friends with each other and it made me happy. Their sense of humor was quite similar, and she often spoke with Corvo more than she spoke with me when we were all in the same place. I watched Dorothea hold back a smile as she grabbed my pillow and hit him across the face with it.

"Cut the shit, Corvo. We both know she couldn't be the dominant one if she wanted to, she doesn't even know how sex works," Dorothea lectured him as she dropped my pillow back on the bed. I tried not to laugh at Corvo's resentful face at Dorothea's assault. However much I was sure he wanted to get her back, play fighting was something he seemed to reserve just for me; regardless of the fact that he never let me win it still made me feel a bit special.

"Wow. Thank's for rubbing my lack of a love life in my face," I sarcastically complained to Dorothea as I got off of Corvo and the bed.

"Get dressed! We're waiting for you at the breakfast table!" Dorothea protested. I sighed as I took off Corvo's jacket and tossed it at him before stomping over to my dresser and pulling out a black outfit. I heard the door to Corvo's chambers close just before I pulled off my nightgown and started dressing. "You two disgust me. Also, you are blatantly obvious in front of everyone, the whole city thinks you two sleep together. If anyone other than me ever catches you doing that the parliament will be furious," Dorothea told me, only half-joking. She was right, we probably were a little too friendly with each other; that wasn't exactly something I would worry about remedying until it was me, and not my father, that everyone was constantly watching.

"Oh come on, my father and Hugh both know. They don't care and they're giving us their discretion," I replied as I finished dressing and grabbed my hairbrush quickly tidying up my hair, before throwing it in a bun. My father had been surprisingly welcoming of the news ever since he found out; Hugh, on the other hand, had been a bit more difficult to persuade to our cause. Corvo had to speak to Hugh on multiple occasions to attempt to put him at ease, and it wasn't until I had a word with Hugh alone that he finally accepted that things weren't going to change between Corvo and I.

"Still, just be more careful," Dorothea requested just before Corvo stepped out of his chambers fully dressed and ready for the day. He walked over and gave me one last quick kiss for the morning before holding out his arm for me to take. I wrapped my arm around his with ease when he spoke up.

"Come on. Take it…" he offered as he waggled his other arm toward Dorothea, offering to chaperone her down to breakfast. "You know you want to touch," he continued before winking at her. She glared at him with her hands on her hips for a good long moment, clearly much more immune to his charms than I was. "Alright, truth is I just want a beautiful woman on each arm," He whispered loudly at her, and we both burst into laughter before she wrapped her arm around his. He led us through the hallways and down the stairs to the banquet hall where my father and Hugh were waiting patiently.

"I apologize for the delay your highness. She's incredibly hard to wake in the morning. It must be a woman thing, right?" Corvo asked my father, just before both Dorothea and I let go and smacked him on the arms and chest, both of us slightly annoyed by his comment. My father and Hugh laughed as Dorothea and I both walked away to sit down. "Ladies, a little respect. I'm a trained and dangerous killer," Corvo complained as he smoothed his jacket and took a seat next to me. Corvo had become much wittier ever since we got together; he'd been witty back when I had met him as well, however back then he constantly hid it behind a mask of grimness.

"The only thing you're dangerous to is your own dignity," Dorothea scoffed as she filled her plate. I giggled softly at her insult, which earned me a quick glare from Corvo that would have scared me if I didn't know him so well.

"It's like I had another daughter and a son," My father complained to Hugh before filling his plate.

"Well Euhorn, I might just be your legal son yet," Corvo joked as he winked at me, before nudging my side gently with his elbow. I forced myself not to blush at Corvo's comment, however, it was hard not to blush when he was making comments about marrying me.

"Behave yourself!" I ordered Corvo as I smacked his arm playfully a few more times. He had no right to say such things in front of my father, he was embarrassing me; something he was proving to be quite proficient at.

"She's so abusive. Please send help," Corvo pleaded to everyone at the table when I paused my playful slaps for a moment. I raised my hand to smack his arm once more but he cowered away over exaggeratedly, shielding himself with his hands. There were moments when I wished he was more serious around others like he had been only a month ago, this was one of those moments.

"Overgrown child," I muttered as I stacked a few pieces of fruit and a breakfast roll on my plate, trying to ignore the currently immature man next to me.

"So how is everyone this morning?" my father asked hoping to start a serious conversation. I could tell that he was also tired of Corvo's antics this morning, however, he was much better at hiding his slight annoyance than I was. It didn't pass me by that Corvo had gone out of his way to attempt to befriend everyone that he knew was important to me, and it just went to show how much he really did care. Everyone had come so far in the last month, it was like we were all just a family; and I had to admit, the family feeling I had now that I hadn't had growing up made me extremely happy.

"We're getting another instrument in by ship today. It's Serkonan, I believe it's called a guitar," Dorothea spoke up, trying to start a serious conversation.

"You know how to play it?" My father inquired between bites of food.

"Er, no. But it'll be a nice addition to the collection. I heard that Waverly Boyle might know how," Dorothea replied and my father just nodded. The table fell silent for a few more moments

"Corvo, you're Serkonan. Do you know?" My father asked him, catching him by surprise.

"I'm afraid not, I was only in Serkonos for a few years," Corvo answered, finally acting serious once again. I knew that was a lie, Corvo spent his life in Serkonos; only venturing to the isles when work called. However, my father didn't know any of Corvo's true past, as far as he was concerned Corvo was Ephraim's nephew; and that was how the two of us agreed to keep it.

"Alright then. Jessamine? Anything new?" Father questioned, and I tried to think of anything that had happened that he didn't know about, but I came up short of any information. He already knew basically everything about my days, and I couldn't think of anything coming up that he wasn't already aware of.

"No…not really," I answered before taking another bite of my pear. I couldn't ignore Corvo as he leaned close to me and tilted his head, as though waiting for me to realize something. "What?" I asked as he continued to stare me down with his annoying, unreadable gaze he often gave me.

"You already forgot?" He asked softly, and apparently a bit too gingerly judging by the way Dorothea glared at him.

"Forgot what?" I asked, genuinely confused as I watched Corvo shake his head.

"Euhorn, we were talking about going away to that cabin you told me about in Potterstead for a few days," Corvo addressed my father and I realized that had slipped my mind. I was initially nervous about what my father would say, granted it was an offer he had set forth to Corvo a while ago, but he could still say no if he felt like it.

"Nonsense, a few days. You have to go for at least a week, otherwise the journey down there isn't worth it," My father replied before taking a large swig of cider. His response set my nerves a bit at ease, every time that Corvo mentioned our relationship to my father I was just grateful that he still seemed as accepting of it as he was initially. Corvo looked at me curiously, and I could tell he was silently asking my approval on spending a week alone with him.

"I'd be alright with a week," I stated as I looked away from Corvo and towards my father, he nodded his agreement with our plans before speaking up once again.

"How soon would you want to leave? You're free to go whenever you want," My father asked before giving us free reign.

"Today," I answered immediately. I had waited so long to make love to Corvo I didn't want to wait any longer, he'd already kept me waiting plenty long enough. As soon as I finished my response I felt Corvo cover my hand with his, then he grabbed my chin with his free hand, bringing me to face him.

"A few days…three days from today," He requested, his eyes boring into mine. I tried to ignore the all too familiar fluttering feelings inside of me from the sudden contact, and Dorothea's pointed fake coughs as she tried to point out that we were being too obvious.

"Why so long?" I questioned, slightly confused. I was tired of waiting and I knew he was too. What was so important that he needed a few days to get it all ready?

"Just trust me," He replied simply with a small shrug, before letting go of my chin and my hand and continuing with his breakfast. He must have a decent reason for delaying it for a few days, and I did trust him, he knew better than me most likely.

"Three days from today," I told my father as I turned back to face him, he had a slight look of shock on his face but he nodded his approval. I noticed Dorothea staring at me in awe, and Hugh seemed a bit confused but was focusing entirely on his meal.

"Wow…how did you tame her?" Dorothea spoke up, seeming to ask what everyone else was thinking as they all perked up to stare at Corvo and I.

"Excuse me?" we both asked simultaneously, however, he just seemed confused and I was slightly insulted. Corvo hadn't tamed me at all, I just respected his request and his opinion.

"You never let anyone change your mind on something. I'd just like to know how he manages to get his way when he's going against you?" Dorothea replied as she waved what was left of her breakfast roll in the air. I had to admit she was right, I rarely let anyone except for my father to get their way when it wasn't my way; I listened to Corvo though because he was actually quite wise when it came to anything that wasn't politics.

"He told me to trust him. And I do," I replied simply, with a shrug. My answer didn't seem to satisfy Dorothea, but she didn't push the subject any further and seemed to take my answer at its face value. The rest of breakfast was quiet everyone seemed to be mulling over their thoughts. Occasionally I caught Corvo glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, but that was it.

* * *

HALF AN HOUR LATER

* * *

"So why do you want to wait three more days before we leave?" I asked Corvo as we walked into my chambers. Nika ran up to greet us happily, licking my hands with her tongue and attacking Corvo's feet. I sat down on the corner of my bed as I waited for Corvo's answer.

"We need time to pack, I need to look at a few maps, and I need to pick up a few things," He replied as he sat down on the bed next to me, taking my hand in his before pressing a kiss against my knuckles.

"What things?" I questioned curiously, wondering what he needed to get here that he couldn't get from Potterstead. It wasn't a particularly long journey, and Potterstead would have all the necessities we could possibly need.

"Provisions and such, it's better to be overprepared than underprepared," Corvo replied evasively. I couldn't help but wonder what he was hiding, but I knew I'd find out soon enough anyways. After all, in three days time I'd finally get to make love to him after waiting for so long already.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Half Way There

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" I asked Jessamine as I grabbed both of my bags and walked out of my chambers to see her zipping up a bag full of her clothes. I was ready to be on my way; we were already leaving later than I preferred, but she had insisted on having one last breakfast with her father before we left.

"I'm ready," She replied as I picked up her bag and hefted it over my shoulder. I was thankful that it was lighter than it looked, things tended to get heavy fast, especially since I had to wear about forty pounds of armor at all times. I had to admit, a small reason I wanted to be in Potterstead already was that I wouldn't have to put back on this dreadful metal shell for a whole week.

"Good," I stated before leaning down and kissing her forehead. When I pulled away she grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me down for a real kiss, her lips soft and teasing against mine. I let her pull away first, she smiled up at me for a moment before grabbing my arm by the cuff of my coat and pulling me out of her chambers. Eventually, she let go of my coat and let me follow behind her at my own pace. On our way out of the tower I couldn't help but glare back at a few city guards who stared at us quite pointedly before whispering to each other. I was slightly pleased when they both stopped their gossiping to stare at the ground. As we exited the tower and made our way to the stables I noticed that Euhorn waiting for us, holding the reins of two horses; I also noticed that it was drizzling, which meant in Potterstead it would be snowing, not exactly something I was looking forward to. The last time Jessamine and I had been stuck in the snow I'd almost died, and I'd nearly killed her for a man I hated.

"Be safe." I overheard Euhorn tell Jessamine as I tied our bags to the larger horse that I assumed I would be riding. I pulled out my spare coat to give it to Jessamine, none of her clothes were waterproof like mine and she'd be grateful to be dry later tonight, and I'd be grateful when she didn't catch a cold.

"Corvo," Euhorn addressed me as I finished tying the last bag down. After making sure it was secure I grabbed the spare coat and walked over to him, the stern fatherly 'don't hurt my girl' look he was giving me didn't pass me by but I choose not to acknowledge it. "Keep her safe. Stay the night at the lodge between Dunwall and Potterstead, the forest isn't the safest place," He reminded me as he patted my back before walking away. I watched him leave, his form disappearing back into the tower.

"Are we going to get going?" Jessamine asked as I turned to see her petting the smaller chestnut colored horse.

"Here, put this on," I ordered as I handed her my spare coat. She slipped into it and buttoned it up before pushing the sleeves back on her arms so they didn't cover her hands. I helped her up into the saddle of the smaller horse before mounting my own. "You know how to ride right?" I questioned as she took the reins in her hands. It had been a long time since I'd ridden a horse, but I was sure I would be able to manage.

"It's been a while but I remember," She replied as she nudged the animal in the side with her boot and it started walking forward. I followed after her, staying right next to her side while Nika trotted along on her other side. I hadn't put much thought into it but it made sense that the dog would come, besides she wouldn't get in the way of anything. The guards at the main gate to the tower opened it when they saw us approaching and we made our way out into the streets of the city, it was still busy but not crowded. I thanked the rain for lessening the crowds of people that were normally about, the ones that were around watched us curiously as we passed. It wasn't necessary to take horses to go anywhere in the city, so they knew that were leaving for another nearby city.

We were silent as we made our way out of the city, and even for the first hour after. I only occasionally told Jessamine which way to turn when the road would split, she was usually so talkative that I couldn't help but wonder if everything was alright with her. She seemed to be okay though. If anything she was probably just a bit nervous, after all, the main reason we were going on this trip was so we would have some privacy and alone time to finally have sex. I let my mind wander down that path as well; I definitely wanted her first time to be special, I'd probably do something romantic the evening we got to the cabin, then take her to bed. In fact, the first two or three days there I'd probably just be gentle and focus on teaching her a thing or two, maybe see what her comfort zones were. The other days though... I had been holding myself back from her for a while, and I'd be lying to myself if I said that rough sex was the last thing on my mind.

I'd never do anything to her without her permission, I genuinely respected Jessamine; she was the only good thing in my life, and I wasn't about to possibly ruin anything between us because I wanted to do things that she didn't want to. I knew deep down inside that if Jessamine wanted absolutely nothing to do with that side of me I would force myself to give it up, or at least ignore it. She was what I needed, and I'd be what she needed too; even if I didn't necessarily want to at the moment. The main reason I made us wait a few more days before we left was so that I was able to stop by a specialty store that catered to men like myself; granted I had also taken advantage of the extra time to make sure I knew where we were going, and to make sure we packed everything we could possibly need. So I hadn't lied to Jessamine when she asked why I wanted to stay at Dunwall. I let my mind drift to thoughts of what I was looking forward to doing with Jessamine in the not too distant future.

"I think we should give the horses a break for a little bit," Jessamine spoke up breaking my thoughts. She was probably right, I'd lost complete track of time and the day was already at least half over judging by the light coming through the clouds. I had a hard time believing that I had been lost in my own thoughts for so long, it hadn't seemed like more than half an hour. I stopped my horse and dismounted. I noticed Jessamine trying to dismount on her own, and I just got to the other side of her horse in time to catch her as she ungracefully slipped out of the saddle.

"You should try to be a bit more careful princess," I whispered softly as I held her in my arms a moment longer than necessary before placing her down. I noticed the slight blush that graced her cheeks for a moment as she took her horse by the reins. Part of me wanted to see how much more I could get her to blush before we reached the lodge we were going to stop at for the night, but I knew that she was probably nervous, and I wouldn't be helping her at all by making risque comments every other moment.

"Corvo, why do you always call me princess when you flirt with me?" She asked as I walked back over to my horse and took the reins before walking further down the trail.

"Because you are a princess," I answered with a chuckle as she walked next to me before taking my free hand in hers. I took a moment to adjust our hands so our fingers were intertwined.

"Technically I'm an empress," She argued my point.

"Not yet. You're still just a princess for now," I replied as I ignored her scoff. "And I call you princess because it's sexy," I finished before winking down at her.

"No, it's not," She argued as she blushed a bit, and once again I felt the need to make her blush even more.

"Yes, it is. I for one, have never been with a noble woman before, let alone a royal. And on top of that, I'm your Lord Protector so I'm supposed to be the one following your orders. But I can guarantee by the end of this week you'll be the one following my orders…princess," I replied, as I watched her blush even more and stare down at the ground as she nibbled on her lower lip nervously. "Are you nervous?" I asked after a good few moments of silence between each other.

"Yes," She replied before looking back up at me.

"I love you. If you aren't ready we don't have to," I offered softly, even though I did want her more than I had even back on the boat when I thought it impossible to want her anymore, I still did. I had been having a hard time controlling myself for a while now, and I didn't want to continue to deny myself everything I wanted; but she deserved patience and respect, I would never take advantage of her.

"I'm ready. I'm just worried that I won't be any good…" She replied before blushing at the ground again. I couldn't help the slight feeling of relief those words gave me, I was tired of forcing myself away from her. I couldn't even begin to consider the incredible amount of self-control I'd have to have in order to spend a week alone with her and not lay a finger on her the whole time. I needed her just as badly as she always said she needed me.

"Jessamine. I don't expect you to know anything, I don't expect you to do anything either," I reassured her as she looked back up at me, her big blue eyes holding me captive. And dammit I couldn't wait to stare into those wide eyes while I was buried deep inside of her.

"But I want to make you feel good," She said as she squeezed my hand a bit tighter. I forced myself not to laugh at her admission, I doubted there was any way that she could mess up sex to the point where I wouldn't enjoy it; I was the one who should be worrying about making her feel good.

"You already do," I replied returning the gentle squeeze. It was true, she didn't have to have sex with me to make me feel good. I felt good every time I got to kiss her or hold her while she mumbled in her sleep.

"You know what I mean," She scoffed as she rolled her eyes. And I did know what she meant, she didn't want to disappoint me with her lack of intimate knowledge. I doubted she would ever be able to disappoint me though.

"Then I'll teach you, besides; isn't that what you told me back on that boat? That when you found the right man he'd teach you everything you needed to know?" I asked, reminding her once again that I didn't expect her to know anything. I was completely expecting to have a few uncomfortable talks and to let her do things at a speed she was comfortable with; I'd been patient this long, I could manage a few more days.

"Yes. Still though…I'm worried," She muttered softly, and I knew it wasn't something she would get over until it was done. No matter what I told her I wouldn't be able to rid her of the nervousness she felt, I just had to be accepting of it.

"Well try not to be. Even if you're the worst at making love, which you won't be; but even if you were I'd still love you," I tried my best to reassure her, although I wasn't sure if it worked or not because we spent our next few moments in silence. We walked for a while in silence and I could see the smoke over the tips of the trees of the lodge where we would be stopping for the night when she finally spoke up again.

"Corvo, have you ever killed a woman before?" Jessamine questioned as she looked up at me.

"What? Jessamine, what brought that up?" I responded, completely confused. Why did it matter, and why did she care? I wasn't the same person I was back then, I knew that for a fact.

"I was just curious. You'd never told me if you had or not. I mean, I know that you would have if anyone asked because you were going to kill me. I was just wondering if you'd ever actually done that before or if I was going to be your first," She replied boldly as she stared me down with more force than I expected. I sighed as I let go of her hand to run my fingers through my damp hair, I would never fully understand this woman. Once moment she was acting timid when it was brought up that I used to be an assassin, the next she was asking me blatant questions about that time with all the authority and self-assurance of an interrogator.

"You wouldn't have been the first if I had actually decided to follow through," I replied icily, slightly annoyed that she felt the need to bring this up right before what was supposed to be a relaxing week together. The last thing I needed was for her to get timid around me again just before I was going to try to warm her up enough to me to have sex.

"What number would I have been?" She asked curiously ignoring my harsh attitude. Continuing with all the confidence and authority that she'd had when she'd asked a few moments ago.

"The second," I replied, trying not to sound as annoyed as I felt.

"Will you tell me about the first?" She asked as she reached out to grab my hand once again.

"Why does it matter?" I growled as I pulled my hand away from her, I immediately noticed how she drew away from me and I couldn't help but feel bad. I was on the fast path to being the one who was going to make her timid around me again, I forced myself to take a deep breath and abandon a decent amount of my annoyance.

"It doesn't…I'm just curious. There's always something I don't know about you," she replied softly and I sighed heavily as I reached out and grabbed her hand, ignoring how she flinched away at first. But after I had a hold of her hand she seemed to relax once again, she knew I would never hurt her.

"She was Tyvian, and her husband caught her sleeping with another man; so he hired me to get rid of her," I explained as I focused on keeping my voice soft, I didn't want to risk making her jump again.

"Her own husband?" She asked as she looked up at me openly shocked. I shrugged in response before deciding to add more information.

"He didn't want her tarnishing his family name. He'd rather her wind up dead and marry someone new. It's much easier to get by in this world as a widower rather than as a divorcee," I explained as I tried to ignore the slight look of horror on her face. I couldn't blame her for thinking I was a monster, I was. I killed a man's wife so that he wouldn't be frowned upon by society for breaking what was supposed to be a sacred bond.

"How is that fair though? Men sleep around so much more than women!" She argued, and I honestly didn't have an arguing point against her. She was entirely correct.

"It's just the way the world is Jessie," I replied softly as we drifted into a few moments of silence once again. In those few moments of silence I wondered if I ever married someone and caught them cheating on me if I'd want to have them killed...no, I'd never want to kill someone that I genuinely cared for at some point in time.

"So how did you do it?" She broke the silence, bringing back up the topic of my old assassin life once again. I forced myself not to growl at the unnecessarily prying question, was she trying to get on my nerves? I forced myself to relax once again before I decided to answer her question.

"I went to a party that her husband threw for the nobles in the city, I located her and sweet talked her into showing me her chambers in private. She assumed that we were going to sleep together when she dragged me off," I paused to take a breath when she cut in. If she wanted me to tell her the story the least she could do was not interrupt.

"Did you?" Jessamine asked, she didn't sound mad or concerned just interested.

"No. She wasn't my type," I replied and tried to finish the story when she cut in again. Was she purposely stopping me from just getting everything out the way I wanted to?

"Why wasn't she your type?" She inquired as I noticed that I could see the lodge through the trees we were so close.

"She was married," I scowled. I used to be many things; a libertine was one of those, however, I wasn't going to knowingly sleep with another man's wife just before murdering her, that just seemed incredibly wrong on multiple levels.

"Oh," Jessamine said softly and I figured I was safe to finish my story now. I stopped walking and let go of my horse's reins to turn and face Jessamine completely, also stopping her from walking forward anymore. She wasn't going to interrupt anymore.

"So when we were both in there alone I pulled her close and kissed her," I trailed off as I wrapped an arm around Jessamines back and pulled her tight against my chest before leaning down and kissing her lips gently. "And while we stood there kissing I pulled out my sword and pushed the tip in her abdomen just a bit," I continued as I kept Jessamine pressed tight against me and poked two of my fingers into her belly. "Then I tilted it up and shoved. Through her lung and her heart," I finished as I dragged my fingers up Jessamine's torso to her upper chest.

"You know, every time I think you're not that scary you make me reconsider," Jessamine whispered softly as I pulled my fingers away and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. I could tell she wasn't scared of me at the moment, and that made me grateful. I was glad that'd she'd gotten a bit more used to my 'unnerving' presence in the last month.

"I'm definitely scary. But I'm not dangerous. Well, not to you anyway," I whispered before kissing her again; this time much longer, holding her there until I felt her completely relax into me.

"Well, at least not anymore," She added as I let her go and turned away to take my horses reins again.

"I couldn't have hurt you even back when I was supposed to," I growled playfully as I snatched her free hand and pulled her close as we started walking again. It didn't take long for us to get to the lodge, and right as we made it the sky opened up, releasing powdery flakes of snow. I tied the horses outside and broke the thin layer of ice on their water trough while Jessamine and Nika played with the flakes falling from the sky. I untied our bags and carried all three of them inside, letting Jessamine and Nika stay outside until they got cold. They deserved to have a little fun after today.

As I looked around the small lodge I noticed it was quite full for the rural location, and everyone seemed to glare at me the moment I walked in. Most likely because I was clearly a Lord Protector and most of the men in here looked as though they were criminals. I walked over to the bar where only a few people were seated and the bartender came over quickly as I set the bags down on the ground next to my feet.

"You here for drinks or board?" the old male barkeep asked as I leaned on the counter.

"Board. One room, two beds," I requested as the old man dug in a drawer before sliding a key across the counter towards me. We really only needed one bed, but I had appearances to hold up. All I needed was someone in Dunwall getting ear-full that the princess and her Lord Protector shared a one-bedroom lodge room.

"That's one twenty. You'll be in room ten on the second floor," the old man stated firmly. I knew for a fact that he was overcharging me just because he knew I had money on me, but I didn't care, and I slid a few coins across the counter toward him before taking the key and putting it in my pocket. I picked our bags up once more and turned around to see one of the many men who'd just been staring me down blocking my way.

"Can I help you?" I growled as I waited for him to move. I could smell the alcohol on him, he was drunk. And he was most likely just trying to cause a scene, something else I wasn't in the mood for.

"Yer a Lord Protector, so where's yer lord mister protector?" He leered at me clearly trying to pick a fight. I instantly regretted letting Jessamine stay outside alone, but before I could push him aside to go get her, the door opened and she walked in with Nika. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw her there unharmed. I shouldn't have let her out of my sight, I knew better than that, she was a magnet for trouble.

"Ya answer me when I talk to ya. Ya hear me!" The disgruntled drunk man yelled and grabbed me by the jacket while I was busy assessing Jessamine. I pushed him back with one hand, and he stumbled backward before tripping and falling on his ass looking confused. I ignored him, and all the eyes on me as I walked to Jessamine and handed her the room key from my pocket.

"Second floor. Number ten," I told her and she nodded as she took the key gingerly and made her way up the stairs. As I followed behind her I shot a last warning glance at the drunk man who was slowly standing back up; I didn't necessarily want to start out the week by getting in a fight, but I wasn't about to let him push me around either.

"Corvo, what was going on in here?" Jessamine questioned when we made it to the top of the flight.

"He's just a dumb drunk Jessamine, nothing to worry about," I answered as she opened the door to our room, and held the door for me while I walked in. I dropped the bags on the ground and peeled out of my weapons harness and jacket before hanging them both on a bed post to dry. Then I hefted out of my heavy armor until it was just my shirt, vest, and tie; I was still too overdressed for my liking, but at least I wasn't being partially crushed. Jessamine peeled herself out of my spare coat and hung it on the other bed post before flopping down on the bed.

"I'm tired," She grumbled into the blankets while I sat down next to her and patted her back.

"Then go to sleep silly," I replied as she rolled onto her back so she could stare up at me.

"I'm hungry too," she complained as her stomach growled and I laughed.

"Then let's go grab something to eat. It's dinner time," I offered as I stood up and grabbed my pistol out of my harness, before tucking it into the waistband of my trousers at my lower back. Jessamine sat up and followed after me, I let her wrap her arm around mine as I locked the door behind us, letting Nika come along. We got downstairs to see the drunk man who had been trying to fight with me earlier yelling at the older man who gave me my key. Probably trying to pick a fight with him now.

"Well look who came back, it's that lord protector. You call that a lord? She's a scrawny little girl, still, I'd do a thing or two to 'er if you weren't 'ere." I heard the drunk man leer from behind us as I tried to locate an empty booth to sit at. I stopped in my tracks and started to turn around when Jessamine stopped me by putting her hand on my chest.

"Corvo you don't have to fight him. We can just ignore him. Please," She requested and I obliged. She was my boss regardless of whether or not she was my lover, and I'd listen to her requests, even though everything inside of me wanted to go destroy that man for insinuating he'd rape my woman. I seated her at an empty booth and watched Nika curl up under the table, I was just going to sit down when the drunk man decided to speak up again.

"That's right ya better just sit down, takin' orders from a little girl. Are ya whipped or are ya just a little bitch?" At this point he was causing such a scene that the whole tavern was staring and I was done with putting up with him. He had insulted and threatened Jessamine and he was going to pay, by the Outsider I would see to that.

"May I?" I asked Jessamine out of courtesy to her. If she still denied me I'd force myself to ignore him, but I hoped she didn't...I wanted to teach him a lesson.

"If you feel that you must," She replied also clearly annoyed; however, if that annoyance was pointed towards me or the drunken man I couldn't be entirely sure. I nodded my approval of her decision before turning around. As I closed the distance between us he swung for me; I grabbed his wrist easily, twisting his arm behind him and kicking him to the floor, I heard the pop of his shoulder dislocating before he screamed. I dropped his arm, letting it fall to the floor before grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him back onto his feet. I slammed him against the thin strip of wall separating two booths before lifting him off the ground with one hand around his neck and the other pressing into his chest.

"That little girl is Jessamine Kaldwin. The Empress. So you will either behave yourself when you're in her presence or you'll be leaving. Now you are going to go over there — No don't you pass out on me I'm not done with you!" I growled as I watched his eyes start to roll into the back of his head. I let him stand on his own again, bracing him against the wall by his shoulders and watching him come back to consciousness all the way. "Now, you are going to go over there and you're going to apologize to the Empress. And after that, you're going to behave yourself or I will kill you. I've killed others over less before," I growled as I let go of my tight grip on him and followed close behind him as he limped his way over to Jessamine.

"I—I'm sorry for my behavior," He whimpered as he stood in front of her cradling his dislocated arm. Everything inside of me wanted to keep beating him to a pulp, but I knew Jessamine wouldn't approve, and I knew I'd probably kill him if I let my anger get the best of me.

"Your majesty," I growled behind him and he started again.

"I'm sorry for my behavior your majesty," He said slightly louder, and I couldn't help but notice Jessamine's look of annoyance. I felt like it was pointed more at me than him, she was probably bothered by my needlessly rough treatment; he hadn't been much of a threat, his punch earlier slow and sloppy.

"Good. Leave," I ordered as I pushed him away and took my seat across from her. The bar muttered for a moment before going back to the way it was back when I first entered. I quickly noticed how the old barkeep ran to attend to us as soon as he realized who Jessamine was.

"I apologize for him. Is there anything I can get you two?" He asked almost timidly as he stood at the edge of our table. I could hardly blame him, he hadn't been the most polite before he realized who Jessamine was; I found it slightly annoying how quickly people's attitudes towards her changed the moment they realized who she was.

"I need a pint and two shots of whiskey. Also, food. I don't care what it is so long as it's edible," I sighed as I rubbed my temples with my finger and thumb. Part of me felt bad for destroying that hopeless drunk out of a fit of uncontrolled anger, the other part of me wanted to do it again, except much more bloodily the next time around.

"I'll have exactly the same thing," Jessamine stated and the barkeep nodded before hurrying off. Her order surprised me, she rarely drank alcohol when we went out together.

"That's a lot of alcohol Jessamine," I warned as I folded my hands in front of me. I wasn't sure what she thought she was doing, but I was certain that she didn't realize what she'd just ordered. Jessamine wasn't a hard alcohol person, she was a fruity wine person, she probably wouldn't even like whiskey.

"You don't think I can handle it?" She asked her voice a mixture of challenging and joking.

"No. You don't weigh enough, it's going to affect you twice as much as it'll affect me," I replied as the barkeep dropped all the alcohol off on the side of the table. I knew she wouldn't be able to handle it, I'd had dinner with Jessamine enough times to know that she was borderline tipsy at one glass of wine; if she drank all of that she would be incredibly drunk and would probably have a nasty hangover to nurse away in the morning.

"Well, I've only ever had wine. And I'm curious," She argued as she pulled two of the shot glasses and one of the pints toward her before continuing. "Why, do I need to be worried about you taking advantage of me tonight if I get drunk?" She asked her voice intentionally smooth as she downed one shot, coughing as soon as she swallowed. I rolled my eyes at her question, she knew the answer, she only asked to be annoying.

"No. The whole point of this trip was to make your first time memorable, looks like you won't remember anything about tonight in the morning," I replied as I chugged my shot down, feeling it burn my throat as I swallowed. She picked up the second shot glass when I pushed her hand down making her place it back on the table. I wasn't about to tell her what she could or couldn't do, but I wasn't about to let her destroy herself either; she didn't know anything about hard alcohol.

"Wait until you've eaten at least a little, it's going to hit you hard on an empty stomach."

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 **A/N:** Thank you to GhostAssassin1993 for your review! I always enjoy getting feedback!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Drunken Empresses are Hard to Control

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"Corvo it's really hot in here," I whispered just before the old man brought over two plates of meat and veggies and placed them in front of us. I'm not sure what the barkeep said, he was speaking incredibly fast, or at least that's what it felt like. Everything around me seemed to be happening faster than I could fully process.

"You need to eat. And it's hot because alcohol raises your body temperature," Corvo replied as he pushed one of the plates closer to me. I picked up my fork with clumsy fingers and stabbed a few vegetables before popping them in my mouth and chewing slowly. My head felt foggy and I had a hard time making my fork go where I wanted it, it seemed like every movement required much more concentration than it should. I wondered for a brief moment if I was alright, but just as soon as the thought came it had fleeted away. I ate slowly as I waited for the foggy feeling that was clouding my mind to go away, but it stayed the same. I watched Corvo take his second shot, and I reached over to my second shot glass and picked it up carefully, focusing on keeping my fingers from shaking; it felt heavier than it should in my hand, and I wondered why for a moment before Corvo broke the silence.

"Jessamine, I'm not going to stop you. But I believe what you're doing is incredibly unwise," Corvo warned before he took another bite of his food, staring me down the way my father would when he disapproved of my actions. If anything the look he gave me made me want to drink the whiskey that much more. I was tired of the men in my life always telling me what I could or couldn't do, I'd prove them all wrong if it was the last thing I did.

"I can do anything you can do," I replied pretentiously before swallowing the small mouthful of whiskey, coughing as it burnt my throat again. It was absolutely foul tasting and I wondered why men seemed to enjoy the drink so much, wine was much more enjoyable.

"No, you can't," Corvo replied sternly before taking another bite of his food. I felt my annoyance grow at his rebuttal, he wasn't any better than me just because he was a man...I'd show him what I was capable of this coming week, he'd be the one begging for once.

"Yes I can," I protested as I glared at him. He seemed entirely unimpressed at my attempts to defend myself, and for a moment I thought he wasn't going to push the subject any further, but of course he had to speak up.

"You weren't made to do everything I can, you were made to do everything I can't," He stated as I started eating again. He made no sense, did he even hear himself? Before I could continue to wonder over the meaning of what he just said I felt my head grow even foggier, and the increased feeling of fogginess pulled me away from my thoughts. I'm not sure how long I sat there in silence, slowly picking at my food as the temperature in the room continued to rise around me. Despite the feeling of the incredibly warm room being almost uncomfortable I had to admit that I felt marvelous; I felt like the world had a new glow to it, like I could do absolutely anything right now if I set my mind to it. I absolutely adored the feeling, it was almost like for once I didn't need to act reserved or be nervous about anything, because I knew everything was going to be fine no matter what. I glanced up at Corvo for a moment to see him staring back at me as though something was troubling him. The quick wonder of what might be worrying him flashed over my mind, but it was quickly replaced by a feeling of admiration that I had no choice other than to acknowledge. I couldn't help but notice with renewed vigor how attractive I found him, was he always this good looking? I sat there for a few moments, doing nothing but staring at him, admiring all the small details I'd never taken the time to properly appreciate before now; and after those few moments had passed I couldn't help but giggle giddily as I realized that the sexy man in front of me was all mine.

"Are you alright?" Corvo asked before he took a sip of his ale. I quickly forgot that he'd asked me a question as I lost myself in his eyes, how had I never noticed the slightly darker blotch on his right eye just under his pupil. I'm not sure how long I spent searching for any other irregularities I might have missed before, for some reason he was absolutely enthralling at the moment. "Hello? Are you still in there?" Corvo asked somewhat patronizingly as he tapped my jaw gently. His touch brought me back from my intense critiquing of his eyes, what did he just ask me? Oh, that's right; if I was alright.

"I'm feeling wonderfully perfect. I'm more than just alright you silly bear," I giggled as I grabbed my pint and took a few large gulps before Corvo pushed my hands, and the glass back down on the table.

"Slow down there. Are you drunk?" He questioned as he tried to pull his hand away from me. I reached out and grabbed him by his wrist, pulling his hand back over. Something had come over me and I felt like I needed to make it known that he was mine, I wasn't about to let anyone else lay a finger on what was mine. On top of the sudden territorial feeling that had just come over me I also felt a deep desire just to touch him, I wanted to feel his skin against mine. Once again it took me more than just a moment to realize that he had asked me a question that required an answer, and it took me longer than it should have to compose a complete sentence in my head, despite the simplicity of the words.

"Why would you ask that?" I giggled as I toyed with his fingers, bending and unbending them as I studied the way they moved. I liked how rough and calloused they were, and I started tracing my fingers over the rougher patches on his hands; everything felt so much more intense right now, every little dash of color and every new texture all seemed as though I was experiencing them for the first time.

"You called me a silly bear...and you're laughing for no reason," Corvo spoke up, pulling me from my daze as he pulled away from my grasp on his hand with ease. I couldn't understand why he was acting so distant, I thought he liked me. Why didn't he want me touching him? I wanted to touch him, I liked touching him. I noticed dimly through the haze in my head and my jumbled thoughts that he was staring me down with a slightly vexed expression. I couldn't understand what there was to be grumpy about; for the first time ever everything felt like it was perfect, the world just felt right, and I felt overwhelmingly cheerful.

"I'm not drunk. I'm happy," I drawled as I watched him cross his arms in front of his chest. I could tell that he was still sullen, but I still couldn't bring myself to fathom why; he should be happy, I was happy...maybe he just needed to drink more. I lost myself in my dimly rambling thoughts as I forced myself to focus on finishing my food; however it wasn't food that I wanted, I wanted more alcohol. I liked the way it made me feel, I hadn't felt this good before it and I didn't want the feeling to wear off, I wanted it to last forever. My thoughts slowly drifted away from the alcohol and back to Corvo, he still seemed miffed but it was easy to overlook his grumpy mood when there was so much of him to admire. I watched with rapt attention as he busied himself with rolling up the sleeves on his shirt, I watched in a sort of haze as he slowly revealed one forearm, then the other. I couldn't help but stare at his lightly tanned skin, dusted with hair. I wanted to reach out and touch; I wanted to feel those small hairs against my fingers, they looked so soft, but before I could reach out he had moved away. I watched the muscles move under his skin as he lifted his pint to take a sip; I watched his lips purse around the glass and I couldn't help but want those lips on mine instead of on a glass.

"You're much too cute to not be having sex with me," I drawled between bites of food. Corvo choked on his ale at my sudden admission, splurting some of it back into his glass before coughing loudly. Half the tavern was watching us keenly, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

"Jessamine. Quiet down. You're literally yelling," Corvo scolded me as he placed his glass back down on the table, staring me down with what looked to be contempt.

"Stop telling me what to do Corvo! I'm my own person!" I retorted angrily. I wasn't about to let him ruin my good mood just because he felt the need to be grumpy. I deserved to feel good once in a while and he would just have to get over it.

"Excuse me?" Corvo challenged, his voice low and annoyed. Part of me wished I could tell what he was thinking, but he was already so hard to read when my head wasn't foggy. I chose to ignore his challenge as I picked up my ale and sipped on it quietly. We sat there in silence for a long time after that. The whole time my thoughts drifted from Corvo to more alcohol, to a few of the strange men at the bar that kept glancing over at me, and then they would finally drift back to Corvo once again, restarting the cycle. It felt like an eternity before the old man running the bar came back over to check up on us.

"Is there anything else I can get for you, your majesty?" He asked with ease, clearly not noticing the tension between Corvo and I; either that or he was purposely ignoring it. Slowly the meaning of his words caught up with me, and I giggled softly as he cleared the dishes from the table.

"Oooh, I like that. Your majesty," I stated solely to myself, feeling the way the words rolled off my tongue. I enjoyed the way they tasted in my mouth. "Corvo, why don't you call me your majesty?" I inquired curiously as I stared over at him to find him just as grumpy as he had been earlier. I knew that I was the one bothering him but I didn't exactly care either, it was his job to put up with me.

"Because you consider me your equal and therefore it's not necessary," He growled, his voice leaving the annoyed zone and entering the angered zone. Clearly what I'd just said struck something inside of him; part of me wanted to see how much more I could annoy him, the other part of me wanted him to loosen up. But mostly I just wanted to pin him down on the table and kiss him.

"Well, maybe you should start," I noted sourly, attempting to match his tone of voice. I ignored the offended look he was giving me, instead choosing to turn my attentions to the barkeep. "I need more of this," I told the old man as I pointed to the empty ale glass he held. He had just started to nod his compliance with my wishes when Corvo spoke up.

"No. She doesn't. I'm cutting you off, you're drunk," He ordered gruffly, as he stared down the old man who looked as though he wanted to get out of the middle of our small squabble. I felt annoyance bubble inside of me immediately, Corvo wasn't my father and he definitely didn't get to make me live my life in any other way than I wanted to live it. I brushed my annoyance towards Corvo away momentarily as I noticed the old barkeep was trying to get out of our way; if he left while things were the way they were right now I wouldn't get any more ale, and by the Abbey did I want some more. I reached out and grabbed the old man's arm sloppily, and he stopped in his tracks immediately.

"Don't listen to him, he's just a bodyguard. I'm an empress," I cooed as I stroked down the length of his arm. He looked concerned and confused as he looked from me to Corvo, and then back to me, clearly trying to decide who's orders to follow. I glanced over at Corvo to find him glaring back at me, jaw clenched and hands balled into fists on the table. The old barkeep seemed to sense that something inside Corvo was about to snap, because he quickly brushed my hand off his arm and walked away.

"I have tolerated this enough your majesty," Corvo growled as he stood at the table as glared down at me. He reached out and took my arm in his hand before pulling me up from my seat with ease. "I'm taking you back to our room," He growled as he began to pull me from the booth. I felt another rekindled wave of annoyance build inside of me, he had no right. His only job was to keep me out of danger, not to father me, or stop me from having a good time; he wasn't about to ruin my night.

"You don't own me, Corvo. I own you," I stated firmly as I pulled my arm from his grasp with a bit of a struggle and sat back down at the table firmly. I stared down at the table top for a few moments before I dared glance back up at him. He glared down at me with what I could only describe as a mixture of shock and fury, and for a moment he did actually scare me. He sat back down slowly and deliberately, and even through the haze I was in I could tell that he was forcing himself to keep his composure.

"You do not own me," Corvo growled, his voice low and dangerous as he sat across from me once again. I swallowed somewhat nervously as I stared back at him, for the first time in a very long time I felt slightly concerned about my well-being. However just as the feeling of anxiety set in the old barkeep was placing my new pint down on the table, and I felt it wash away as Corvo focused his attentions on the man who had directly disobeyed his orders. The old man scampered off without a word, and I had no doubt that it had to do with the clear animosity between me and my Lord Protector. I focused on ignoring Corvo as I sipped at my ale quietly. My attention span had shortened significantly from all the alcohol, and I couldn't help but lose myself in my thoughts as I watched the people at the bar. I wondered about each one of them momentarily, who were they, why were they here, where were they going? I made up a different story for each and every one of them, making a little game of it, but eventually I lost the drive to continue with the little game. I was halfway through my pint when I glanced back over at Corvo; he was still watching me with annoyance, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared me down. Why did he look so mad? Who'd gotten on his bad side? He scowled as he noticed me staring at him and I immediately realized that I was the one he was mad at.

"Why are you being so mean?" I questioned, my voice coming out much more slurred than I expected. He seemed annoyed and then shocked that I'd spoken to him.

"What?" Corvo asked, his voice still angry. What had I done to make him mad? I tried to think back over the last few moments but I couldn't remember anything after my second shot, it was all just blank.

"You're being mean and grumpy. What did I do to you?" I asked boldly as I sipped at my ale. I was honestly curious, I doubted anyone other than myself in this bar could have bothered him so thoroughly and still be breathing.

"You are not doing this to me," Corvo sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair annoyedly. I glowered at his response. What did he think I was trying to do to him? I just wanted him to talk to me, and to stop being so grumpy, and to kiss me already. I damn well needed a kiss, and if he wasn't going to give me one I'd...well, I had no idea what I'd do but I'd figure something out.

"Doing what?" I questioned. He must have been able to hear the clear confusion in my voice because for a moment I saw his face soften, but just as quickly as it had softened his hardened annoyance rose up once again.

"Making me feel like the bad guy after everything I've tolerated tonight. You've insulted me in every possible way, you're the one who should be feeling bad. Not me," He growled dangerously as he leaned forward, clearly trying to put me on edge. And I had to admit, for a moment it worked, Corvo was capable of being scary when that was his goal. After another swallow of ale my prior inhibitions fled, I absolutely loved this stuff, it was liquid courage.

"Oh...I'm sorry," I stated softly as I looked away from Corvo's face and at the table. For some reason the dull woodgrain pattern thoroughly distracted me until Corvo spoke up once again.

"What are you sorry about?" He questioned, clearly wanting me to admit exactly what I'd done wrong. I glanced back up at him to see that although he was still annoyed I was starting to get on his better side. I swallowed nervously as I tried to recall what exactly I did that had made him so incredibly bothered by my presence, however once again I couldn't remember anything except for a few moments ago and the beginning of dinner.

"I - I can't remember..." I stated softly as I watched Corvo's scowl return to its full strength. I couldn't help but feel guilty, I didn't mean to hurt him...or at least if I had I was regretting it now. "I forgot what I said earlier. But I'm sorry that it hurt you, I didn't want to hurt you," I said lamely as I looked away from him and back at the table before taking another sip. I felt a small seed of sadness grow inside of me quickly as I traced the wood grain beneath my fingers. I didn't expect Corvo's forgiveness, apparently whatever I'd done had been quite serious. I silently worried over what I might have done. I quickly wondered if I had broken things off with him in my haze and I swallowed sadly...what if I'd pushed him away for the last time? I sniffled softly before taking another small sip of my ale, I forced myself to hold back tears for a few moments until Corvo's hand covered mine gently.

"Jessamine. Please stop drinking," Corvo requested. His voice no longer angry, instead he just sounded tired and slightly remorseful. I glanced up at him reluctantly, worried about what I'd see; however, he appeared to have let go of whatever I'd done earlier. He stared at me calmly as he pulled his hand away from mine.

"Alright, just let me finish this one," I sighed as I lifted the glass to my lips once more, I didn't want to waste good ale. I was beginning to find that I was quite fond of the stuff. Corvo pushed the glass back to the table before I could take a sip though, and when I opened my mouth to protest he spoke up once again.

"Jessamine. I'm not asking as your Lord Protector, I'm asking as your partner. Stop. Please." He requested, his voice slightly desperate. I quickly noticed that the calmness he had shown a few moments ago had turned into concern, and I couldn't help but wonder why he was concerned about me; I felt great if you didn't count my still partially crushed feelings. I stared back at him in silence for a few moments before I got lost in his eyes once again, I'm not sure how long I was staring into their depths before a thought struck me.

"On one condition," I stated giddily as I thought of my new and wonderful plan in my head. Corvo stared back at me in silence as he waited to hear my terms. "You have to give me a kiss," I finished with a broad smile as I stared at him. The slight smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth didn't escape me even in the state I was in.

"I'll give you a kiss when we get back to our room," He offered as he reached out to take my hand once again.

"No. Right now, otherwise no deal," I ordered as I lifted the glass to my lips with my free hand. I quickly watched Corvo's recently found good demeanor turn back into slight annoyance as he lifted my hand from the table and brushed a quick kiss against the back of my hand. I couldn't hide the obvious shiver his chapped lips on my skin gave me, and I didn't want to hide the happy smile that spread across my face. But I wanted more than just that...I wanted much more.

"Nope. Not on the hand, on the lips," I stated firmly as Corvo glared at me for a moment.

"Jessamine we're in public," He growled quietly over the table as he reached out to pull the glass from my free hand, I pulled away with ease though, taking the glass of ale with me. I was purposely taunting him and he knew it, but I'd be damned if I wasn't going to get what I wanted from him.

"So?" I questioned loudly. Was he embarrassed to be seen in public with me? I didn't think I was that repulsive. After the initial sting of his rejection wore off I stared him down for a few moments, I quickly grew tired of the staring contest though and I lifted the ale to my lips once again. Before I could take a sip though Corvo's hand darted out lightning fast to take the glass from my hand and pull it out of my reach. I immediately tried to retrieve my glass, he wasn't allowed to steal from me, that was mine.

"I don't think so," He stated as a response to my attempts to retrieve my drink. He ignored my attempts to take back my glass before he started drinking it in front of me.

"Hey! That's mine," I protested as I reached out with both hands to steal it back from him, he pushed me away with ease as he finished the glass and set it down on the table with a loud thunk.

"Now it's no ones. Come on. I'm getting you to bed before you manage to get yourself into trouble," He ordered firmly as he stood up and placed a few coins on the table. I was partially just glad that he didn't seem to be mad at me anymore, and also partially annoyed that he'd stolen the last of my ale; it was mine, not his. Before I could begin to think about his anger or my own sadness over the loss of my drink, the light glinting off the shiny coins he had just placed down was distracting me.

"Shiny," I whispered as I reached out to grab one when Corvo stopped me and pulled me out of my seat, my head spun as I stood there holding onto his arm for support. I felt dizzy and slightly nauseous, and I wondered for a moment if I was going to be sick.

"Not yours," He told me sternly as he started to walk away, and I focused on walking fast enough to keep up with him. Why was he going so fast? My stomach was doing flops inside of me, and I was so dizzy I kept stumbling and leaning on Corvo heavily for support.

"Slow down," I complained as I almost tripped, just barely recovering in time to regain my footing. Why wasn't Corvo helping me? He was acting like I didn't need his help. Maybe I didn't deserve it after whatever I'd done to him earlier, he was probably still angry even if he wasn't showing it.

"I am going slow," He replied as we made it to the foot of the stairs. I took one step before losing my balance and falling backward. I fell into Corvo, and he sighed heavily before he picked me up, carrying me up the stairs and to our room. I giggled softly as I buried my face in his chest; he smelt so good and his shoulders were strong under my hands, I didn't want him to put me down. I felt his grip on me lessen just before I heard the sound of a door unlocking, I glanced up from his chest to see him carrying me into our room. He laid me down on the bed gently and I giggled as I tried to keep my hold on his shoulders, but he pulled out of my grasp with ease, I pouted silently as I watched him close the door and lock it. My head was incredibly foggy and I felt like I was missing part of myself, I didn't worry myself over the feeling for very long because Corvo was walking back over quickly. I felt another wave of nerves build up inside of me, not like before though; these nerves weren't scared, these ones were needy. I just wish I knew what it was they needed.

"I like you a lot," I murmured softly as I watched Corvo take off his vest and tie. Why had I never taken the time to fully appreciate all the small things about him I was finding so alluring right now? Just watching the way he moved made me needier in some unknown way.

"I know, that's kind of the whole reason we're out here to begin with," He replied impassively as he started to unbutton his shirt. I swallowed dryly as I watched him continue to undo the buttons with expertise, slowly revealing inch after inch of smooth taut skin stretched over muscle. Even through my hazy wonderment, I noticed his emotionless tone of voice, and I wanted to know why he seemed so off.

"Do you not like me too?" I questioned as I felt another wave of sadness build up inside of me...Corvo didn't like me. That could be the only reason why he was acting so distant, nothing else made sense to me.

"I love you. Go to sleep," Corvo ordered as he pulled off his shirt and laid it on top of the dresser. I smiled happily at his admission as all the sadness I felt just moments before fled, so he did like me. And if he liked me that meant I could persuade him to make love to me, and kiss me; I needed a lot more kisses than I had been getting out of him lately.

"You have a nice body," I whispered as my eyes roamed his rear side greedily. I took in the thick cords of muscle running down his back and the small dimples right above the hem of his trousers. I was surprised when Corvo spoke to me, I didn't realize he had heard what I'd just said.

"Jessamine. Sleep." Was all he said in response as he kicked off his shoes and pulled back the blankets before laying down next to me. I tried for a moment to contain myself, I wanted to be good for him...but more than that I wanted to feel him on me. And I recklessly decided that I was going to do what I wanted tonight, it was my night for the taking, and I was going to take everything that I wanted.

"Mine," I growled as I pounced on his chest, nuzzling into him and trying to hold him close against me through the blankets. I managed to place a few sloppy kisses down his neck before he decided to speak up.

"You're drunk please go to sleep," He pleaded, and I ignored him as I tickled him sloppily. He pushed me over and pinned me down before leaning down and kissing my forehead. I giggled at the show of affection, I wanted more of that...I wanted that, but all over my body.

"I love you. However, you are drunk. Please don't push me, because I'm not that strong right now. Just go to sleep," Corvo requested before he pulled away and laid back down on his side of the bed. I huffed softly as I realized that he was still trying to push me away, I was tired of being pushed away. I wanted him, here and now; and I was going to have him if it was the last thing I got.

"Corvo...I wanna do stuff," I whined as I traced a hand down his chest and abdomen, his skin firey against mine, he grabbed my arm before my hand could travel further than his navel.

"Stuff like sleep?" Corvo questioned, clearly exasperated with me, he pushed my arm off his body with ease and rolled over on his side so his back was facing me.

"Stuff like sexy stuff. Corvooo. Do sexy stuff to me," I pleaded as I shook his shoulder, and when that didn't work I nibbled on his ear.

"I swear on the Outsider...I will sleep in the other bed if you do not stop," He growled. He sounded annoyed and I huffed grumpily, I wasn't about to take no for an answer, I wanted him and I was going to have him dammit. I clumsily pulled my shirt off my body, earning a quick glance from Corvo. "Jessie...what in the void do you think you're doing?" Corvo sighed heavily as he tried to help me back into my shirt.

"You're sleeping with me whether you like it or not tonight," I grumbled as I struggled against his attempts to clothe me once again. I wasn't going to take no for an answer, the only appropriate answer I was going to accept tonight was a yes.

"That's it. I'm sleeping in the other bed," Corvo growled as he stood up and took a single step before flopping down on the other bed with a tired huff. I glared over at him for a few moments, he wasn't allowed to do this to me, he wasn't allowed to ruin my fun. Finally, I decided to stand up, I found that my legs were somehow more wobbly than they were before. I held onto one of the bed posts to keep me steady, and as soon as I let go and tried to take another step towards Corvo I fell onto the floor clumsily with a loud thud. The floor was cold and hard but at least it didn't hurt, and it was only a moment before I felt Corvo's hands on me.

"Dammit Jessie. What's gotten into you?" Corvo asked as he helped me up off the floor and laid me back down on the bed I'd just tried to leave. I huffed loudly as he pulled his hands off my body, I wanted him to touch me.

"I just wanna make love to you. Why won't you give me what I want?" I complained loudly as I tugged at his silky hair; I wanted to run my fingers through this hair while kissing him, and I wanted to do that right now.

"Jessamine. You're drunk," Corvo sighed heavily as he freed his hair from my grasp after a few moments of prying my hands away. I'd taken a few silky strands with me and he glowered at them briefly.

"So? What does that matter?" I grumbled loudly as I held onto Corvo's forearm with my best death grip, I wasn't about to let him escape.

"I refuse to take advantage of you," He replied, his voice steely with determination as his dark eyes bored into mine. It took me a moment to realize what he was saying. And I forced myself not to laugh, he sounded so silly; I knew what I wanted regardless of whether or not I was drunk.

"You wouldn't be," I stated after the few moments of silence it took me to figure out how I could respond in a way that would persuade him to do what I wanted.

"Yes, I would be. You're much too drunk to be able to properly consent to anything, verbally or otherwise," Corvo growled as he pulled away from my death grip much easier than I expected him to. I pouted as he turned away from me. He really was serious about denying me what I wanted...

"Please just sleep in the same bed as me then," I begged as he laid back down on the other bed. He sighed heavily for a moment before sitting up and staring me down with the same steely gaze as before.

"Are you going to behave yourself?" He questioned firmly as he stood up and walked over to the corner of the bed I was on.

"Yes, I promise," I answered quickly. It seemed to be what he wanted because he flopped into bed next to me before turning his back to me and pulling the covers up over his body. I laid there quietly for what felt like an eternity. Finally, I couldn't hold back any longer, I wanted him and dammit I was going to have him.

"Cooorvooo. You promised me a kiss," I whined as I trailed my hands up and down his arm.

"No, I didn't. I offered one as part of a deal, a deal that you rejected," He replied gruffly as he shook my hand off with ease, bit it was only a moment before I was clinging to him again.

"I don't care. Kiss me," I whined pitifully as I shook him sloppily by his shoulder.

"No," He replied gruffly as he brushed my hand off of him once again. I pouted for a long moment before trying once more.

"Corvo. I order you to kiss me," I slurred as sternly as I could manage in the state that I was currently in.

"Once again, no." came his gruff reply. I huffed angrily, he wasn't allowed to say no. He was only allowed to say what I wanted him to say.

"This is treason you know. I could have you punished for disobeying orders," I threatened as I shook him by his arm once more.

"Threaten all you want, I've already given you my answer," Corvo growled before scooting further away from me, leaving more cold and empty bed between us.

"Dammit Corvo," I remarked angrily as I crossed my arms. "You know I could go find someone else who would be more than willing to kiss me," I threatened before I attempted to get out of the bed, he rolled over and stopped me with ease though, pinning me down by my shoulders before giving me a quick kiss. It was too quick, I wanted a real kiss, something passionate and caring, this one was clearly forced.

"There. Happy now?" Corvo asked, his voice full of fatigue.

"More," I giggled as I squirmed under his hands. It may not have been the kiss I wanted from him but it had been better than nothing, and now that I'd gotten him started maybe I'd be able to pull more out of him.

"No. Go to sleep," Corvo grumbled grudgingly as he rolled over once again, his back facing me.

"I want you..." I whined as I grabbed a large handful of his butt in my hand causing him to flinch for a moment before he relaxed, he was clearly trying to ignore me. "Why don't you want me? I thought you liked me," I whimpered sadly before rolling over. I didn't have any alcohol to soothe me after his most recent rejection, and I couldn't help but sniffle sadly as I felt a tear roll down my cheek. It seemed as though Corvo could hear my little breakdown though because once again he was rolling over to console me.

"Jessie. Stop crying," he requested softly as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled my side tight into his chest. The slight show of affection made me giddy, but I refused to acknowledge it; he had made me sad, he wasn't going to fix everything just by hugging me.

"Why should I? It's not like you care, you don't even like me," I sniffled as I struggled to get free from his arms to no avail.

"I love you. You know that," Corvo sighed heavily before brushing a kiss against the top of my head. I felt a small spark of hope grow inside me at his sudden show of affection, and my prior giddiness that I'd forced away returned. After a few moments I calmed myself down enough to finally stop sniffling. "You are the first drunk person who I've ever seen go from angry to flirty to sad in the span of an hour," Corvo noted, more so to himself than to me. And I didn't bother to respond to the small statement, I wouldn't know how to even if I wanted to.

"Do you really love me?" I asked softly, as he leaned over me and wiped a tear away with his thumb before pressing another small kiss to my lips. I couldn't help but smile, regardless of how small or short this kiss had been at least it had been genuine.

"Yes," he replied as he rested his head on the pillow I was using, still holding me close even though I'd stopped crying a bit ago. I smiled and then giggled softly, he said he loved me. And after a few moments all feelings of my former rejection had worn off and I was once again vying for a more passionate show of affection.

"We should make love," I muttered as I freed one of my arms from his embrace and poked his cheek with my finger a few times. He sighed heavily as he stood up and walked over to our bags, he walked back over to me carrying something I couldn't see in the dark. He pinned my hands above me and I giggled as I squirmed under him, he wrapped something around my wrists and it wasn't until he pulled away that I realized that he'd just tied me up. Not what I was expecting him to do to me for my first time, but then again I guess you never really knew when it came to Corvo.

"Go to sleep," he mumbled as he laid back down and pulled me into him, holding me the way he had been just before I'd attempted to persuade him to make love with me again. Despite the closeness I felt another wave of rejection build inside of me, he really wasn't going to sleep with me...I tried to talk to him a few more times, but he was either asleep or ignoring me, so eventually I decided to close my eyes and drift to sleep as well.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

I woke up slowly, the light pouring into the room from the window making my eyes and head hurt as I blinked. I tried to stretch but something wasn't letting me move my arms. I looked down to see that I was tied up, and I instantly felt a little sicker than before.

"Corvo? Nika?" I yelled for them and immediately regretted it as my ears rung. Not only had my attempt to call for help only caused me pain, but it seemed as though neither of them were around because nobody responded. I instantly worried if something had happened last night and I'd gotten lost from both of them. If Corvo wasn't here who would have tied me up? I looked around somewhat frantically until I noticed Corvo's spare jacket hanging on the bed post where I'd put it last night, at least I was in the right room, now if only I knew where they were. I tried to struggle against the rope that was binding me, but even though it wasn't particularly tight it was well tied, and there was no way I was getting out without help. I'm not sure how long I laid there, staring at the ceiling and trying to ignore the pounding in my head and the sick churning feeling in my stomach while I waited for someone to either come get me, or come find me.

"Corvo?" I asked, swiveling my head around too quickly as I heard the door to the room open. I ignored the pain that the movement caused as I watched him walk in before shutting the door behind him.

"I see you're awake…finally," He stated as Nika jumped up on the bed and started licking me. I batted her away clumsily with my tied up hands until she went and laid down on the floor, then Corvo sat down on the corner of the bed before grabbing me around the waist and pulling me over to him.

"Why am I tied up?" I questioned as he kissed the top of my head and reached for my wrists.

"Oh, you don't remember? We made love last night, truly amazing…well at least for me. It must not have been that good for you if you don't remember it," he whispered into my ear as his fingers worked away at the knots tying my hands.

"We made love and I don't remember…" I trailed off completely disappointed. That's when I realized that maybe Corvo had been right all along, I should have listened to him and let him make it memorable for me. Now I'd never even remember my first time...How could I be so stupid?

"I'm joking. We didn't make love. I just wanted to see your reaction," He chuckled as he freed my hands and stood up, taking the length of rope with him and tucking it into one of our bags.

"Why would you lie about that!" I yelled before immediately regretting it as my ears rung. I covered them quickly in hopes that it would make the pounding stop.

"Because I knew I could get away with it," He replied as he held out his hand for me to take. I pulled my hands away from my ears and took his hand, letting him pull me up with ease.

"Why did you tie me up?" I inquired as I waited for my equilibrium to figure itself out, I felt off balance and sick. I just wanted to go back to sleep and escape this new pain.

"You wouldn't let me sleep. You were very…flirtatious last night. It was distracting," He answered as he waited for me to get me bearing before letting go of my hand. Distracting, what was that supposed to mean?

"I don't really remember much of last night," I admitted quietly as I stared up at him, hoping he could shed some light on whatever may have happened.

"That's probably for the best. We weren't exactly on the best of terms last night," Corvo admitted as he scratched the back of his neck and stared down at the floor.

"What does that mean?" I questioned as he sat down on the other bed in the room and looked up at me.

"You were rather insulting last night," Corvo started as he watched me flop down on my back next to him. He turned to face me, "Tell me, do you really feel as though you own me?"

"What?" I asked, what would possibly make Corvo ask that?

"You heard me," He answered as he leaned over me, resting his hands on the bed on either side of my head. "Last night, you quite blatantly stated that you own me. I'm not a pet Jessamine, and I'm not a slave either. I almost just left you down there after you said that," He explained as he stared down at me. I was speechless for a moment, I could hardly believe that I'd said that to him.

"I - I'm sorry Corvo...I didn't realize that I said something like that to you. And no, I don't think that I own you...I'm sorry that I said that," I answered slowly. I felt quite bad, I didn't realize how un-ladylike I had acted last night.

"It's alright. You were quite drunk," Corvo replied as he continued to stare me down.

"Corvo. Why didn't you leave after I said that?" I questioned softly as I ran my hand down his jacketed forearm for no other reason than it provided an excuse to look away from his smoldering eyes. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did, I probably would have left if I had been in his position.

"Because I knew if I just left you down there unattended something would have happened to you. Especially in the state you were in. I wasn't about to let you get yourself hurt just because I was upset with you," Corvo answered and I looked back up at him.

"Thank you," I stated lamely. I didn't deserve the amount of loyalty he gave me, and a wave of guilt washed over me at the realization.

"Another question. Do you feel that I'm inferior to you?" Corvo asked.

"No. Of course not!" I blurted out as I sat up, and he pulled himself away from me accordingly. I sat up too quickly though, and my head spun and my stomach churned inside of me. I took a few moments to compose myself before speaking once again. "Did I say that to you too last night?" I questioned softly as I took his hand in mine and rubbed the back of it slowly, once again more for the distraction from looking him in the eyes that it provided.

"Well, not exactly in those words, but yes," Corvo answered as he stared down at our hands. He glanced back up at me after a moment.

"I'm so sorry Corvo. I would have never said those things to you if I wasn't drunk...I don't think I'll be drinking again for a while..." I admitted ashamedly. I couldn't believe everything I'd done to this poor man last night. My admission seemed to humor him at least a small bit because I quickly caught onto the small pull at the corner of his lips that always meant he found something amusing.

"It's alright. I understand, your majesty," Corvo stated, the small pull at the corner of his lips turning into a full-blown smirk.

"Would you stop that! You know how I hate it," I complained as I let go of his hand and stood up. I almost lost my balance before feeling Corvo grab onto my arm and hold me steady.

"But that's how you wish for me to address you from now on is it not?" He questioned good-humouredly as he stood up behind me, releasing my arm from his grasp. I turned to see his smirk widening.

"No! Wait...I told you to refer to me as your majesty..." I trailed off as I stared at the ground. What else had I told Corvo last night? Part of me wished I could go back in time and stop myself from ever taking that first sip of whiskey.

"You're quite arrogant when your drunk. Your majesty," Corvo replied a small smile on his face.

"Seriously Corvo! Stop. I redact whatever I said last night," I explained exasperatedly, as I stared up at him.

"Alright then...princess," Corvo replied as he stepped closer to me, purposely invading my comfort zone. Normally the closeness wouldn't bother me, but given how horrible I was feeling, and the events of last night come to light it put me on edge just a bit.

"Are we ok?" I questioned quietly as I looked up at him.

"I'm not holding any grudges if that's what you mean. I understand you weren't exactly yourself last night. I only brought it up because I had some...uncertainty regarding whether or not part of you meant those things or if drunk you is just an asshole. You'll be happy to know it's the latter," Corvo stated boldly as a large smile spread across his face.

"You ass," I stated as I stepped forward and grabbed him in a hug, pulling him tight against me. He returned my hug with ease, and I reveled in the warmth and steadiness of his arms around me. I stood there in his embrace for much longer than necessary before Corvo finally broke the silence.

"You should probably get ready, we have to make it to Potterstead today," Corvo reminded me as he let go of his hold on me and I forced myself to reluctantly pull away. He was right though I needed to get ready, judging by the light coming through the small window I had already slept in. As I stepped away from him I couldn't help but remember what he said earlier, he said that I had been distracting last night...what had he meant by that? I continued to ponder the meaning of his words as I walked over my clothes bag and pulled out a fresh outfit, black again, as always. I was still incredibly aware of Corvo's presence, and his eyes on me, and I felt much too exposed to change peacefully; especially since everything I'd just found out about last night. I wasn't sure why but it made me feel almost self-conscious.

"Corvo…may I change?" I asked as I turned around to see him standing where I left him watching me keenly.

"Where's all the hesitation coming from? You were all too eager to get undressed with me last night," He replied as he took a few steps forward and buried his hand in my hair. He kissed me softly and I lost myself in him with ease, it was always too easy for me to lose myself when I was with him. He pulled away sooner than I would have preferred before walking away and grabbing his bags. "I'll meet you downstairs." Was all he said before he slipped out of the door, letting it drift closed behind him.

I sighed heavily before pulling off my clothes from yesterday, I shivered as the cold air touched my bare skin. How did Corvo control himself? If he ever tried to seduce me I doubted I'd stop him, I wouldn't want to. Yet apparently even with me throwing myself at him last night he still brushed me off with ease, I couldn't help but wonder if he was really all that attracted to me if it was that easy for him to say no. I knew that it would be almost impossible for me to say no to him. I finished slipping into my fresh clothes before shoving my old ones back in my bag and buttoning it up, I leaned close to the window to see that it wasn't snowing, but there was a nice layer of white coating everything. I decided to pull on Corvo's extra coat before grabbing my bag and leaving the room, Nika following after me like she always did. I had a slightly difficult time making it down the stairs in my state of disarray, but with a little help from the hand rail, and a lot of unnecessary cursing I made it to the bottom without an incident. I stood at the bottom of the staircase for a few moments, looking around and not seeing Corvo anywhere in the room. It was still crowded, but not nearly as crowded as last night, and apparently everyone was still unused to our presence as they all stared at me critically before Corvo walked in from outside. He walked over to me and took my bag before resting his hand on my back and leading me over to an empty booth, letting me go at my own slow pace.

I was silent throughout breakfast as I let Corvo order for both of us. I traced patterns on the tabletop with my fingertips until the food arrived, and every time I glanced up at Corvo I noticed him staring back at me keenly. I was nervous about everything that would be happening this week, and everyone in the room staring at us, and I was worried that Corvo might not like me as much as he led on.

* * *

FIVE HOURS LATER

* * *

It was mid-day by the time we reached Potterstead, and my headache and nausea had long since subsided; only thanks to Corvo forcing me to drink more water than I could comfortably hold. I was delighted by the small snowy city in its quaint atmosphere, I also noticed that the townspeople were either incredibly friendly or unfriendly with no middle ground. We stopped outside a small storefront, and I waited for Corvo for a few moments while he ran inside to grab a few things, while he was inside two children ran up and played with Nika for a brief moment before their parents called them back again. I wished that I lived in a city like this, it seemed peaceful, Dunwall was always hectic and bustling. Corvo came back shortly as promised, carrying a decent sized package; I considered asking him what he'd gotten, but knowing him he'd probably just provide some vague or challenging answer. He mounted his horse and lead us out of the small city, we only rode for another twenty minutes or so before I saw the tiny secluded cabin. It was definitely charming, nothing like any of the buildings in Dunwall and I much preferred it and it's quiet seclusion to the tower. Here there were no prying eyes or nosy guards, I absolutely loved it.

"We're here," Corvo noted the obvious as he dismounted and walked over to me as I got down off my horse.

"It's lovely," I replied just before he pulled me into him and kissed me senseless. It was much too easy for me to lose myself in him, his warm lips a stark contrast from the freezing air; his body strong and stable against mine, I loved everything about it and every moment that it lasted. I was thankful that this kiss lasted much longer than the one he gave me this morning, after last night I needed some reassurance that he wasn't just putting up with me because he had to.

"You should go get the place set up a little bit, I'm going to take care of the horses," He said softly as he pulled a key from his pocket and handed it to me before turning away. I let out a long shaky breath as I made my way up to the cabin and let myself in, the door creaked open as Nika ran inside and started exploring. It was dark as I made my way in, it looked like there weren't any light bulbs in the place either, it must have been built before whale oil; I made my way along the walls opening the curtains covering the windows as I went, letting in as much natural sunlight as possible. The cabin was fairly small, a bedroom with a bed about as big as mine back in the tower, the living room had a singular large couch a fireplace and a coffee table; the kitchen, a stove a sink and some decent counter space, and the dining room had just a small two person table.

I started digging through the cupboards finding pots, pans, and blankets before finally stumbling upon a stockpile of candles and matches. I grabbed an armful and started placing candles on every available surface; countertops, tables, dressers, the lips of windows. When night came we'd need a decent amount of them lit in order to actually be able to see anything. Finally, after I'd covered the house in candles I lit a few of them to light it up a bit more. However much of a fire hazard they may be they were quaint, and they lent a certain amount of romance to the atmosphere.

"Setting up some mood lighting are we?" I jumped as I heard Corvo speak up from behind me, I hadn't even heard him walk in. It was occasionally unnerving how silent his footsteps were...just traits of his old career I assumed.

"It was a little dark…"I replied as I turned to see him place our bags on the floor by the door.

"I got the water heater going if you'd like to go take a bath. I can take care of everything else," He offered softly before leaning in and kissing me again, but in the back of my head I kept wondering why he never had any trouble pushing me away when I wanted him. The worry had been consuming me ever since I thought of it this morning, the worry that I wasn't what Corvo actually wanted.

"Corvo, are you attracted to me?" I asked softly as he pulled away from my lips. The moment the words left my mouth I felt incredibly relieved and worried all at the same time, it was an odd feeling. He was silent for a moment, staring me down with a puzzled expression, he was probably wondering where all of my recently found self-doubt had come from.

"Immeasurably. What makes you ask that?" He replied just before pulling me tight against him. It was impossible for me not to relax into his grip, he was just so soothing to me.

"It's just, it's always so easy for you to brush off my advances…like last night. And if you made advances at me like that I wouldn't want to ignore them," I answered softly as I buried my face in his jacket, focusing on the smell of leather and coconut that emanated from his coat.

"I don't want to ignore your advances either. And it's not as easy as you think for me to just brush it off, I've had more internal battles than I can count over forcing myself to try and be a gentleman with you. This whole time I've been trying to change for the better because that's what you deserve; being a gentleman is unnecessarily tiresome," He explained before pulling himself away from me, making me look him in the eyes. "If you actually remembered last night, you'd recall that I asked you to stop trying to seduce me because I'm not strong enough to tell the both of us no any longer," He whispered before leaning down and kissing me once again. Why did he have to be so perfect? Why did he always know exactly what to say to somehow wedge his way deeper inside my heart? I pulled him tighter into me as I kissed him back with much more enthusiasm than he was showing at the moment, he chuckled softly as we pulled away from each other.

"We're alone now…you don't have to be a gentleman any longer," I whispered against his lips as I held him close, running my hands through his hair and down his back. I wanted him to pin me down and teach me everything I didn't know about love yet. Regardless of how much I wanted that my body was still thrumming with nervous energy; I knew what I wanted and I knew that I wanted him desperately, but I still couldn't stop some small part of me from being scared of the unknown. Before I could focus on my nervousness enough to let it take over my mind unwillingly Corvo was already speaking up.

"Yes, I do. Because it's what you deserve."

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 **A/N:** Alas, a new chapter! I apologize for the delay everyone! I know my length of time between updates had a few of you worried I'd given up but I haven't! The delay was just a mix of this chapter being the largest one yet at 10.5 K words, college work :P and I'm moving into a new house so I can live closer to my grandparents since they're starting to need daily checkups now, so I've been busy packing up boxes. I'll try to get the next update out sooner, however, no guarantees since I'm still in the middle of the move. As always, thank you to YagamiRaven, GhostAssassin1993, 99danas, and Caldwin for your reviews! I always love feedback!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Insurrection

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I'd finally persuaded Jessamine to take a bath after nearly deciding to just push her down on the couch and take her right then and there. She was definitely stubborn, and I was just glad that I'd won for the moment. If she could just wait a few more hours I'd give her everything she wanted and more. I wanted to get the place heated and tidied up a bit more, take a bath myself, make dinner together and then sweet talk her into the bedroom. I wanted her to know her first time was driven not only by lust, but also by passion. I scoffed at myself lightly as I realized that the old me wouldn't have cared in the slightest whether or not something seemed romantic enough for a woman, I supposed I had changed more than I realized recently. The old me wouldn't have told Jessamine no time and time again last night, and it was that realization that made me glad that I had changed.

Jessamine was incredibly persistent when she wanted something, and I wasn't the best at denying myself what I wanted. I needed her more than I would even let myself accept. Even right now I was having a hard time thinking about anything except what it would feel like to bury my dick inside her, wondering what kind of noises she'd make when I pounded into her. I'd never actually been with a virgin before; granted I'd overheard enough from both men and women to know that men usually believed it was the best thing ever, while most women remembered it as the most painful or humiliating time they'd had sex. I definitely didn't want to leave Jessamine with a bitter taste in her mouth. I scoffed once again as the small voice in the back of my mind reminded me once more that the old me wouldn't have cared about whether or not I left someone with a bad experience; but I couldn't do that to Jessamine...she was so much more than a one night stand or a cheap whore.

I shook myself from my thoughts and focused myself on the task before me. I lit the logs in the fireplace and went to stack some in the stove, leaving them unlit until later. I gathered our bags together and carried them into the bedroom; I slid the bag full of supplies I'd gotten back in Dunwall under the bed and began unpacking our clothes, tucking them away inside an empty dresser. I grabbed a few spare sheets and some blankets out of the closet and quickly and sloppily made the bed; I didn't bother to make it very well, besides it was just going to get messy tonight. I drifted back to thoughts of sex as I stared down at the partially made bed. I just hoped that I didn't hurt her, I didn't know much about virgins except that it was going to be a bit messy the first time. I was going to try my hardest to be gentle, but I still didn't know if that was going to cut it. I heard Jessamine walk into the room behind me and I turned to see her wrapped in nothing but a towel, I felt my dick harden a bit but forced myself to ignore it.

"I'm going to go clean up really quick," I told her as I walked over and kissed the top of her head, her hair wet and soft against my lips, "Get dressed and relax, I need you to teach me a few things before I can teach you anything," I whispered with a wink as I walked away. The bathroom was a decent size, the first thing I noticed was the tub was twice as large as it needed to be and I couldn't help but smirk. Euhorn you naughty dog. I started the water and closed the drain as I pulled off my all too many layers of clothes, finally I eased down into the warm water and couldn't help but sigh. I missed warmth, it had been the one thing Serkonos had given me that Gristol couldn't.

I sat in there until it filled up, just reveling in the heat as it warmed my cold bones. Then I remembered that Jessamine was waiting for me and I quickly focused on scrubbing up, soaping up my body and hair before rinsing under the water and getting out while the tub drained. I ran my fingers through my hair to tame it before dressing in just my trousers and white button up. I hung the towel to dry and grabbed the rest of my clothes off the counter before leaving. Jessamine was sitting on the couch with Nika when I walked out, staring out at the snow falling on the trees while the sun slowly sank under the horizon. She peeked behind her when she heard the bathroom door close, and smiled at me as I went to drop off the rest of my clothes. I laid them all in an empty drawer of the dresser; I'd go through it and organize it later, right now I just wanted to get out there to my Jessamine.

"Would you care to come teach me a thing or two about the kitchen?" I asked as I walked over to her side, holding out my hand for her to take.

"What?" She giggled as she grabbed my hand and stood up, letting me pull her into me.

"I've never exactly cooked a meal before. If you teach me a little something, maybe I'll teach you a few things later tonight," I said softly, letting the honey drip off my tongue as I walked backward slowly, taking us both toward the kitchen.

"Really? What do you know that you could teach me?" She questioned coyly as she ran her hands down my sides.

"I think you already know," I answered before kissing her a little more roughly than I meant to.

"Alright then. That seems like a fair trade to me. Let's see what we have," Jessamine replied as I released her from the kiss, her face slightly flushed. She pulled everything I'd grabbed from Potterstead from the brown bag and laid the groceries out on the counter. She stared at everything for a few moments, glaring at it like it was a hard problem she needed to solve somehow. She facepalmed gently as she shook her head and let out a deep sigh. Before I could ask her what wrong she was already speaking. "Oh, Corvo...How am I supposed to make anything out of this mess?" Jessamine questioned as she gestured to the mess of groceries on the counter.

"What?" I asked. I was so confused, how could anyone not make something out of everything I had gotten...I'd made sure to grab such a variety.

"You are no longer allowed to shop without me. This is a horror story," Jessamine stated as she shook her head and continued to stare down at the ingredients on the counter. "Go take care of the table while I try to figure something out of this mess you got us into," Jessamine sighed softly. I could tell she wasn't disappointed, if anything it seemed like the situation amused her.

"Yes, your majesty," I huffed as I rolled my eyes, earning a sharp glare form Jessamine. She lashed out to playfully smack my arm but accidentally hit my butt instead.

"Try to control yourself princess. It's not time for dessert...yet," I stated huskily with a wink as I grabbed two plates from the cabinet. The sudden blush that covered her cheeks didn't pass me by, and it made me smile. I focused on putting out the settings, it certainly didn't take long. The whole time I kept glancing over at Jessamine as she held back chuckles over everything on the counter in front of her. Even after I'd finished putting out the settings I just stood by the table staring at her, I lost myself in my thoughts of her with ease as my eyes perused her body. Her long black hair was spilling down her back, she wasn't wearing any makeup, she rarely did, she didn't need any. I watched her bend down to one of the lower cabinets to pull something out, but I didn't pay attention to what she was grabbing, I was too busy staring at her perfectly round ass. I couldn't help the slowly growing erection I had, even if I could, I wouldn't want to. I just wanted her so damn bad.

I could see it all in my mind; I would pull her into me, kissing her forcefully while walking her backward. I'd knock aside the place setting on the table before lifting her by butt, purposely kneading my fingers deep into her flesh before sitting her on the table. She'd wrap her legs around my waist, drawing me in closer as I'd kiss a trail down her pulse line and work at the buttons on her blouse. She'd dig her fingers into my back as I pushed her blouse off and trailed my fingers down her torso. The sound of a pot clanking as she set it down on the counter pulled me out of my very vivid fantasy, I swallowed heavily as I took a step forward. I wanted her so much, and dammit I was done waiting; I was going to have her right here, right now. I closed the distance between us and had just placed my hand on her shoulder so I could pull her into me for a deep kiss when she turned around.

"Alright, I think I've got something," She began as she looked up at me. Her deep blue eyes pulling me from my sex driven haze; Jessamine was still so pure and innocent, untried and untested to the needs of a mans body. I couldn't just fuck her on the dining room table like a wild animal, at least not yet, that would be no way to introduce her intimacy. "Here, chop this," Jessamine ordered as she placed a large yellow onion in my free hand, seeming not to notice how dangerously close I'd come to giving in to my needs. I nodded as I forced myself to step away from her, the more distance I had between us for the time being the better. She'd already set out a cutting board and a knife, and I set to work on the onion; focusing only on it in hopes to quell my erection. I was aware of Jessamine filling a large pot with some water and placing it on the stove she had just lit as I cut the onion in half, the papery brown shell on the outside falling away. Did I need that part? Well hopefully not. I tried my hardest to cut it into chunks, but I hadn't gotten more than a dozen cuts in before I could feel tears welling in my eyes. What was going on? I don't cry. What was happening to me?

"Corvo, are you crying?" Jessamine inquired, I could hear the obvious humor in her voice. Nice to know how funny she found this. I sniffled before replying, as a few tears broke free and rolled down my cheeks.

"No," I replied gruffly as I wiped them away with my sleeve. It had to be this onion, it smelt horrible. Were they supposed to smell like that? I sincerely hoped it was the onion causing my tears and that I wasn't getting soft.

"Don't lie to me," Jessamine ordered, her voice tinged with even more humor than before. I bit back a growl, how dare she mock me in this moment of weakness.

"I'm not crying because I want to...I don't cry. I'm not a cry-er," I defended myself gruffly as I wiped a few more tears away with my sleeve.

"Are you trying to convince me? Or are you trying to convince your pride?" Jessamine questioned before laughing at her own joke. I glared at her as I paused my cutting.

"Do you think it's wise to mock a man with a knife?" I questioned darkly as I waved the knife in the air to make a point.

"I doubt you could see me well enough through the tears to get me even if you wanted to," Jessamine retorted, and I glared at her for a moment longer before focusing on the onion once again. Damn woman. Who did she think she was? Tears continued to fall as my eyes stung, I was nearly done though. Just a few more cuts...I could do it, I was so close. I managed to finish the last few cuts with only a few more tears.

"There I'm done. Thank goodness," I sighed, I was relieved as I pushed the cutting board away from myself.

"Good job. You only cried enough to fill a small lake," Jessamine taunted as she placed a saucepan next to the pot on the stove, and scraped the chopped onions into it before placing the board back down in front of me.

"I will get you back for these insults..." I threated darkly as I wiped the last of my diminishing tears away with the sleeve of my shirt. I was thankful that the tears were ending, I didn't like looking weak.

"I don't doubt it," Jessamine stated plainly as she placed a few tomatoes and some garlic on the board that was in front of me once again. She stirred the onions that were sizzling on the stovetop and I sighed as I realized she wanted me to cut more things. I started with the garlic, I managed to get it into small chunks like the onion before it when Jessamine walked over to check on me.

"Here. Let me help," Jessamine offered as she came to stand next to me. I glanced down at her as I paused my movements. "Just like this," She advised as she moved closer into my side. She took my knife hand in hers before taking my other hand with her free one, curling my fingers around the tomato on the board. She rocked my knife hand over the tomato, slicing a thick band. She continued to hold my hand as she helped me chop the first one, the whole time I was paying more attention to the feeling of her soft skin on mine more-so than the lesson she was providing. "There. Now you try," Jessamine offered as she stepped back. I reached out and grabbed the second one before slicing it in half, I was about to continue making smaller more precise cuts as she had shown me just a few moments ago; but a brilliant and evil plan sparked in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile darkly as I placed the knife down and took one of the halves in my hand. I stared down at Jessamine for a long moment as she stared back up at me, clearly confused. "Corvo. What are you doing?" She questioned, clearly trying to figure it out.

"This is an insurrection princess," I stated plainly.

"What do you —" Her question was quickly cut off as I smashed the half of the tomato into her face, effectively turning it into a pulp. I took a quick step back and let go. The tomato clung to her face for a moment longer before the skin of it fell onto the floor with a loud splat. I couldn't help but chortle as she stood there, hands balled into fists as she glared at me, her face covered in red pulp.

"I hope you've enjoyed your time on this planet...because I am about to kill you," Jessamine threatened very calmly as she wiped most of the pulp away with her sleeve. I burst into laughter as her face was now only streaked with red. It was my laughter that pushed her over the edge, she reached out and grabbed a cucumber before running forward and smacking me with it a few times. I scampered out of her reach quickly, still laughing. She didn't chase after me but instead reached for the carton of eggs, pulling a few out. I just realized that she was going to throw them at me when I grabbed one of the plates on the table and used it as a shield, just barely managing to pull it in front of me in time. An egg cracked against it loudly before it fell to the ground, now nothing more than a goopy mess.

"Jessie! Not the eggs! Those are children you're murdering!" I chuckled as she threw two more. One of them cracked on my improvised plate shield like the one before it, and the other smashed into the wall behind me.

"I will murder every child that stands in my path of revenge," She growled as two more came in quick succession, one actually hitting my arm and the other hitting my leg.

"Well, that's just rude," I stated as I began to slowly walk backward towards the door to the cabin. She quickly noticed what I was going to do though.

"Don't you dare leave this house...you are going to pay for your sins," Jessamine growled as another egg found its untimely demise on my plate shield.

"But that's boooring," I quipped as I lowered my plate shield and reached for the doorknob.

"Corvo!" Jessamine yelled as another egg splattered on the upper right-hand corner of the door.

"It's been a pleasure working with you, your highness; however, due to you wanting me dead I sadly will have to resign earlier than I originally planned. Best of luck in life," I joked as I slipped out of the door, closing it behind me firmly and holding it closed from the outside as Jessamine tired to get out. After a few long moments the struggling on the other side of the door ceased. But just as soon as it had stopped I heard the window next to me slide open, and Jessamine poked her head out.

"I am going to destroy you!" She shouted angrily as she clumsily climbed out of the window. I laughed as I let go of my hold on the door handle and ran out into the snow, hiding behind a thick tree. "Come out and face me like a man!" I heard Jessamine shout from the general direction of the cabin, I peeked out from behind the tree for a moment just before a snowball caught my shoulder. I gasped at the sudden offense as she stood a dozen meters away smiling proudly.

"Oh if its war that you want its war that you shall have love," I growled as I shoveled a handful of show off the ground and packed it in my hands quickly before lobbing it at her. Jessamine let out a quick shriek before running off, just barely avoiding my snowball. I chased after her as we both lobbed snowballs at each other, missing more often than getting hits. I chased her behind the back corner of the cabin to find that she'd effectively disappeared, I chuckled darkly as I scooped up some more snow and began to pace forward. "Oh, princess...Come out, come out, wherever you are," I chuckled through the sparse woods behind the cabin. I heard a slight rustle behind a tree to my left and chuckled as made my way forward quietly, just as I rounded the trunk though Jessamine sprang up from behind it, smooshing a large chuck of snow into my face and plowing me into the ground.

I coughed around the snow as she continued to shovel more of it onto my face as she got on top of me, trying to pin me to the ground. I couldn't see her through all of the snow and I batted at her blindly until I managed to grab her arms and roll her over, pinning her to the snow under me.

"Accept defeat," Jessamine ordered from under me as small bits of snow fell from my hair and into her face.

"Why would I accept defeat? You're the one pinned," I replied as I continued to pant for breath, she seemed to notice the logic behind my argument as she quieted down immediately. "As penance for your transgressions I require that you warm my lips. Do so, and all shall be forgiven," I stated in the tone of voice I used whenever I mocked the parliament members back in Dunwall. She giggled before pulling a hand out of my grasp and pulling the back of my head down for a kiss. Her lips were warm against mine, and I sighed as I rested more of my weight on her, kissing her more deeply as I wrapped a hand in her now damp hair. I was perfectly content and relaxed before heavy panting, and the quick paced sound of running broke the silence just before a brown blur collided into me, pushing me off Jessamine. Before I could fully react I was being covered in slobber as Nika licked my face thoroughly and Jessamine's laugh broke through the sounds of panting and licking.

"Get him Nika! Get him!" She urged on the dog as I batted her away playfully, she quickly lost interest in me and focused her new attentions on Jessamine. Showering her with all of the licks I had been receiving a few moments ago. "No Nika! Not me! Get Corvo! Corvo!" Jessamine tried to correct the dog as she pushed her away just to have her come back seconds later. I stood up as I watched Jessamine trying to defend herself from the long pink tongue lapping at every available inch of skin.

"Don't worry princess. I'm here to save you," I chuckled as I grabbed Jessamine by the arm and hefted her up next to me, she wrapped her arms around my waist for a moment as she regained her balance. She smiled up at me before leaning up and planting a kiss on my jaw, I smiled as I tilted my head and captured her lips on mine once again, wrapping my arms around her waist. I pulled away only after she shivered, it was cold out here, I should get her inside. "C'mon. Let's get inside. I'm actually hungry," I chuckled as I took her hand and led us back to the cabin. Nika had pushed the door open, and that, along with the window, had let a lot of cold air in. I focused on getting everything all closed once again as Jessamine ran off into the bedroom to change.

Nika had cleaned up most of our mess, any food that had been on the floor from our fight was gone, only the two splattered eggs on the wall remained. I grabbed a small rag out of a kitchen drawer and wiped away the mess with ease, rinsing my long forgotten plate shield and leaving it on the counter to dry. Jessamine returned from the bedroom dressed in tight fitting pants and an oversized sweater. I swallowed heavily as thoughts of taking her chased away my prior productivity.

"I'll take care of dinner, you can go get cleaned up too," Jessamine offered as she walked past me and started to take care of our recently abandoned work. Once again I found myself at a loss for words, so I said nothing, and instead just walked away towards the bedroom to change. What was wrong with me today? I could hardly keep myself off of her, it had never been this hard before. I changed quickly, into another button up shirt and fresh trousers. I returned to the kitchen promptly, wrapping my arms around Jessamine's waist and pulling her back into my chest. She giggled softly as she stirred a pan full of the tomatoes and onions.

"Almost done?" I asked softly as I nibbled on the top shell of her ear. She giggled as she squirmed in my arms.

"It is done," She replied as she turned around in my arms and kissed my chin. I smiled softly and forced myself to let go of my hold on her, I went through the motions of getting dinner in a haze. I wasn't all there again until we were seated at the small table with our food.

"You're a surprisingly good cook. Did anyone teach you? I know you never cook your own food at the tower," I inquired as I took my second bite, it was actually much better than I expected.

"My mom taught me a few things when I was young, I don't remember a lot of what she taught me in reality," She answered with a small smile before looking slightly sad, this was not the way I wanted the evening to go.

"She'd be proud of you. You're an amazing young woman," I stated, hoping to make her happy again.

"Thank you," She said quietly, not seeming to cheer up very much.

"You'll make a great mother someday," I told her softly, hoping to take her mind off the subject of the loss of her own mother.

"You think so?" She asked with a small smile, and I didn't realize that I'd just implied that we'd have children until she winked at me. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat as I thought about me having a child, I wasn't father material. I'd never quite thought it all the way through that if Jessamine and I stayed together that we'd eventually have to have a child to carry on her families dynasty.

"I know so," I replied smoothly, ignoring the feeling of dread deep in my stomach.

"I think you'd make a good father," She stated with a shrug as she took another bite.

"I doubt it," I replied, and she looked back up at me slowly.

"You're too hard on yourself," She noted as she watched me take another bite.

"You always say that," I replied before she reached out and took my free hand.

"I love you," She whispered, just loud enough for me to hear and I couldn't help but smile.

"I love you too," I replied as I gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. We ate in silence for a few moments, and I knew this was my opportunity to turn the conversation around and start getting her a bit more in the mood.

"So what other secret skills are you hiding from me?" I asked playfully as I winked at her.

"Umm…I don't think I have any other secret skills…" she trailed off slightly nervous, that's how I could tell that I was doing my job right.

"If I find out you're lying to me I might have to punish you sometime later…" I replied coyly as I watched her eyes grow slightly larger.

"And what exactly do you consider a punishment?" she inquired softly, peering up at me from under her dark lashes.

"If you're good you won't have to find out," I answered before finishing the small amount of food on my plate.

"What if I want to find out?" she questioned coyly, but I could still hear the timidity she was trying to hide in her voice.

"If you're really that curious I'd be more than happy to oblige your requests…" I replied as she smiled shyly down at the table. "Are you finished?" I asked as I watched her push what was left of her food around on her plate with her fork. She nodded her response, and set her plate down for Nika to eat the scraps as I stood up and took my plate to the sink. I rinsed it off before I heard her start an audiograph in the player and a soft melody poured out, I had just set my plate on the counter to dry when she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. I smiled softly before turning around to take her in my arms, pulling her close and swaying softly to the music with her.

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 **A/N:** Ok, so this week I got the rest of the plot, and the ending of this story all drafted out. It appears as though it'll have 41 chapters, so we're more than halfway done. I'm considering throwing in a few one-shots after the main story ends, about important events that happened that led up to the game since our characters will still be 13 years away from what happens the game when the story ends. The one-shost's would be based off of things such as: Corvo helping Jessamine cope with Euhorn's death (and Euhorn's dying wish for Corvo), Jessamine finding out and telling Corvo that she's pregnant (and his reaction to the news), Emily being born (and a suspicious parliment wanting to know who the father is), etc. etc. So leave a comment telling me wether or not you're interested in a series of angsty and fluffy epilogues! If I get enough people interested I'll put them in too after the story wraps up! A big thank you to GhostAssassin1993, bookcoda, and EverythingYouDoIsABalloon for your reviews!


	27. Chapter 27

**Warning:** **NSFW/NSFS, Smut.**

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Chapter 27: Let Go

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I relished in the feeling of strong, firm arms around me as I nestled my face against Corvo's chest. I could hear the soft drone of the music, and the steady beat of his heart as he stepped slowly to the music with me. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside his head, while I was a tense bundle of nerves he seemed to be as calm and collected as he always was. The first song on the sheet ended just before another one struck up, I smiled at the familiar notes filling the air, this was the same song we'd danced together at Corvo's promotion ceremony. I pulled my head from his chest to glance up at him. He gave me a small knowing smile before he twirled me around as the song picked up.

"This seems oddly familiar," Corvo noted as he spun me into him and I couldn't help but laugh a bit. I quickly lost my nervous feelings as I danced to the lively song with him. My mind, now busy with keeping up with Corvo's steps, didn't have any time to worry about what would hopefully happen later tonight. We continued to dance for another few moments before he spun me back into his chest, just as he had only a short while ago; this time though, I didn't pull away from his lips, instead I leaned in closer, brushing my lips against his lightly. I pulled away with a coy smile on my face as Corvo stared down at me through hooded eyes. He pulled me against him tighter as he brushed an out of place lock of hair behind my ear, before he leaned down and kissed me gently.

This kiss reminded me of the kiss we shared back on Serkonos when he was trying to reassure me that he wouldn't hurt me, incredibly gentle and sweet, turning my insides to liquid goo. I didn't realize that he was walking me backward until I was pressed between the wall and his body. Corvo pulled away from the kiss just long enough for me to catch my breath, before returning his mouth to mine once again. He licked the seam of my lips for a moment before I let him explore my mouth, our tongues mingling as I ran my hands down his sides, feeling the muscle under his thin shirt. Everything inside me was confused; I was nervous, but at the same time strangely relaxed, I was breathless, my heart was racing, and I couldn't ignore the heat pooling low in my belly.

He pulled his mouth from mine again, his breath ragged as he leaned further down. He kissed right under my jaw while pulling the neckline of my sweater further down, closer to my shoulders, before he kissed his way down the full length of my neck. I buried my trembling fingers in his hair as I tried to force myself to stop shaking all the way; I wanted him so badly, I didn't want him to stop because he thought I was scared. Corvo paid particular attention to the more sensitive areas of my neck, which I gave away unintentionally when I tilted my head so he could reach them better; he nipped gently at the skin in those spots before soothing the irritated patches with his tongue, sucking on them softly. I moaned his name as I felt my knees go a bit weak, he pulled away from my neck to kiss my lips once more, his kisses still full of warm sincerity even as he nipped softly at my lower lip.

"I love you," Corvo stated quietly as he pulled away, his voice ragged as his sweet breath fanned over my face.

"I love you too," I replied just before his lips captured mine as he ran his hands along my sides. He pulled away quickly. Resting his forehead against mine, the tips of our noses touching, his breath coming quickly and raggedly, fanning over my face.

"I want you so badly…" He whispered softly, as the heat in my lower belly rose to uncomfortable new heights.

"I'm yours," I breathed as loudly as I dared; and before I could even comprehend how it happened I was in his arms, cradled against his chest as he kissed me senseless. I was all too aware that he was carrying me to the bedroom, and I felt the nervousness inside me grow as I heard the door slowly creak open.

"Corvo…" I whimpered as he laid me down on the bed gently and straddled me, hovering above me. Seeing him on top of me sent every memory of being under him flashing through my mind; the night back in Karnaca when Corvo was drunk and he forced me down on his bed, when we were on the ship and he was threatening me to quiet down with his pistol, all the other countless times back in Dunwall when he'd pinned me down for some forgotten reason only to force himself away the second I really started to need him. "I'm scared," I breathed softly as he kissed my forehead, he pulled away at my admission and stared down at me concernedly.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked. I could tell by the way he said it that he was hesitant to stop, and I was slightly surprised to find that I was just as reluctant as he was, the heat inside me was demanding that he keep going. I took a deep shaky breath as I shook my head. Corvo quirked an eyebrow as he rolled off of me, laying on his side next to me on the bed. He toyed with the ends of a lock of my hair as he waited for an explanation.

"No. I don't want you to stop," I stated, my voice slightly shaking from a mixture of desire and nerves. "I'm just...I don't know...nervous," I finished as I looked away from his chest into his smoldering brown eyes. I quickly noticed the slightly amused smile he wore and I wondered what he found so funny. Before I could ask him though he was already speaking up.

"You're thinking too much."

"What?" I questioned as I turned to face him better.

"You're overthinking this. Scaring yourself," Corvo elaborated just before he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me on top of him as he rolled onto his back. "You trust me, right?" Corvo inquired as he started to trail a few kisses down my jawline. I swallowed heavily as I felt more tingles form inside of me from his affections.

"Yes," I breathed quietly as I drew in another deep, yet shaky breath.

"And you want this too, don't you?" Corvo added another question as he continued kissing down the other side of my jawline, his hands rubbing into my back.

"Yes," The same answer left my lips once again, however this time I was actually able to vocalize my words.

"Let go," Corvo stated as he pulled away from me, laying his head back against the mattress as he stared up at me. I was so confused, what did he want me to let go of?

"I don't—"

"Stop trying to be in control, just let go. Trust me to take care of you," Corvo cut me off as he explained what he meant. I swallowed nervously as he buried a hand in my hair, he was right I was thinking too much, and I was worrying myself over controlling something I knew nothing about. I nodded slowly as I parted my lips to draw in another shaky breath. "Just try to relax. I promise I'll go nice and slow," Corvo reassured me, and I was certain he still saw the unease I couldn't shake off.

"Alright," I replied as I stared down at him, and he continued to stare back up at me patiently, almost as though he could tell I needed to be the one to make the next move. I'm not sure how long we laid there, while I tried to force myself to stop thinking about what we were about to do, but eventually I came to the conclusion that what I was doing wasn't helping. Corvo was right, I just needed to let go. I swallowed as I leaned down and pressed my lips against his, he let me pick the pace at first, regardless that it was incredibly slow. And he didn't force anything faster than I wanted, he simply nudged me in the direction he wanted. It wasn't long before my slow, timid kiss had morphed into something else entirely. Our tounges battling for dominance, and our lips crashing down on each others with a desperate neediness that had been lying just under the surface this whole time.

Corvo pushed us back over so that he was straddling me once again, as I laid on my back on the bed. I couldn't help it when my lips became rougher on his even as he was trying to slow down, trying to act less desperate and more deliberate with his actions. I knew deep down that I was trying to retain my hold on what little control I did have, doing the exact opposite of what Corvo told me to do. He pulled away from my lips to kiss a trail up my cheekbone to the shell of my ear, where he gave a small nibble as I squirmed under him.

"Give in," Corvo requested, his voice ragged as he whispered in my ear. I registered his words even though I didn't reply, I was too desperate to reply. He pulled away from my ear to hover his lips over mine once again; I parted mine as I leaned up slightly in an attempt to kiss him once more, however he only pulled away from my attempt, keeping our lips close but not giving me what I wanted. "Stop fighting me," Corvo added just before he kissed me once again. He was trying to go slow and gentle, and I didn't cede until a few moments later when my desperate, rough kisses slowed to meet his own much gentler ones. I lost sense of time as our breath tangled together and his hands explored my body over my clothes. After what seemed like an eternity he pulled away from my lips as he pushed the lower hem of my sweater up over my torso, revealing the bralette I was wearing and my skin underneath. I squirmed under him as he trailed his fingers down my bare sides, his skin fiery against mine. Corvo's lips found my neck and began to explore slowly. "That's better," He breathed as his hands continued to ghost over my bare skin. He sat up momentarily as he unbuttoned his shirt; revealing his toned, muscular chest and stomach, but leaving his shirt on. He bent back down, pulling my sweater off over my shoulders and arms before tossing it aside; he took a few long moments to run his fingers along my bare skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his path.

I couldn't help but feel remarkably exposed as his eyes drifted across my body slowly, taking in every inch as he wetted his lips with his tongue. I felt too naked under his gaze, and I pushed his shirt from his shoulders in an attempt to feel less exposed; he helped me pull his shirt all the way off, before tossing it over the side of the bed, and leaning down to kiss me. This time, he started from the waistline of my trousers, and slowly kissed his way up and down my belly and sides; exploring my body with his lips and teeth, all the while I couldn't help but moan and squirm under him. He was testing my patience, and something inside of me needed him intensely, but I didn't know how to fix it. I could sense that he was testing me on purpose, every single move he made was slow and deliberate, almost calculated. He pulled away from my torso and kissed my mouth again as he pushed his hands up under my bralette, and pulled it off my chest and over my arms before tossing it away. Corvo's chest pressed against mine and he laid some of his weight on top of me. His hands tangled themselves in my hair, and I could feel his hard arousal pressing against me through both of our trousers.

"Isn't this better? I don't know how many times I've had to tell you, I like being the one in control," Corvo whispered in my ear before his lips found mine. He slid one of his hands over my bare breast, rolling my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, sending delicious tingles down to my fiery belly. I didn't say anything, but instead moaned loudly in response to both his words, and his actions. He pulled away from my lips to kiss his way down to my neck, across my solar plexus, and over to my now sensitive nipple. He took it in his mouth, teasing me with his tongue and teeth as his hand began to work my other nipple. I moaned and squirmed under him as he continued his delicious torture on my body. Everything he was doing to me only made me need him in that unknown way even more. After what felt like an eternity, he decided to toy with my other nipple with his mouth as his hands roamed down to my trousers. He unbuttoned them deftly, his hand snaking past the thin fabric to rest in between my legs. His thumb found something deliciously sensitive down there, and he began rubbing slow gentle circles on it.

"Coooorvoo…" I moaned loudly as I pulled at his hair rougher than I meant to. I couldn't quite control myself with him touching me like that. My cries only seemed to spur him on though as he sped up his thumb, the pressure inside me building to all time highs before he pulled away, heaving himself back up to my face to kiss me. "Corvo…please…" I panted in between long desperate kisses as I ran my hands along his back.

"Patience," Corvo answered my pleas as he pulled his weight off me; he stared down at me with his perfect brown eyes, just as he started to work my trousers off of my legs.

"But Corvooo," I groaned as his fingers trailed down the outside of my legs as he pulled off my remaining clothes, his skin on mine giving me another small wave of tingles.

"Keep begging princess, I like it," Corvo smirked as he completely removed my remaining clothes. I opened my mouth to protest when his lips found the curve of my inner ankle, and began to slowly kiss their way up to my inner knee. He repeated the process with my other leg, kissing from my ankle to my knee, his lips ticking my skin. Then he decided to kiss from my inner knee all the way up my thigh, and to the juncture of my legs and hips. I moaned and bucked under him, and he smirked as he pinned my hips down against the bed forcefully before repeating the delicious torture on my other leg. I dug my fingers into his shoulders as I tried to spur him into doing anything that would help alleviate the burning need inside of me, rather than just intensify it.

"Corvo, please," I whimpered as he nipped gently at the inside of my thigh, drawing a gasp from my lips.

"Please, what?" Corvo questioned, just before his tongue darted out to explore the folds of my pelvis. I couldn't help but moan loudly as I tugged on his hair rougher than I meant to. A slight wave of satisfaction washing over my body before it somehow curdled into more neglected desire.

"Pl—please Corvo…I need you," I whimpered almost pitifully as I dug my fingers roughly into his shoulders. My request seemed to push him off the precipice of whatever ledge he was on, because almost immediately he was working the buttons on his own trousers. He stood momentarily to pull his trousers and boxers all the way off before kicking them into the corner. I felt a new wave of fear wash over me as I finally saw his erect manhood for the first time ever. He was so long and thick, it was intimidating; and as he straddled me again I quivered in a mix of fear, anticipation, and need.

"Is this what you wanted?" Corvo questioned as he jutted his hips between my legs, purposely teasing my slick entrance.

"Corvo," I groaned his name as I tugged roughly on his arms.

"Mmm, that's not the right answer," He replied as he smirked down at me. He was clearly enjoying watching me squirm with the discomfort of knowing that what I needed was so close, yet so far away.

"Please..." I moaned as I grabbed fist fulls of the blanket beneath me in an attempt to release some tension.

"Polite, but still, not quite correct," Corvo chuckled. He pressed closer, just barely pushing himself into me and I moaned loudly as my hands found the panes of his back. "C'mon, it's just one little word," Corvo stated, his voice just as rough and needy as mine. Even though he was good at controlling his desire it was definitely still there, threatening to break free.

"Yes," I answered, my voice no more than a hoarse whisper. He smiled down at me, clearly happy I'd finally said what he wanted; however, just as quickly as I watched him smile I watched it fade as he stared down at me seriously.

"Jessamine…this is going to hurt the first time," he warned as he tangled a hand in my hair and rested more of his weight on my body. "I'll be as gentle as possible…" he trailed off before slowly easing inside of me. I squeezed his forearm hard as he stretched me open, and I waited for whatever pain he'd just warned me was about to happen. He nuzzled the side of my head before whispering, "I love you." and thrusting all the way inside me with a hard push.

I yelped and writhed under him as I felt something deep inside me tear, the pain flooding my vision for a moment. "Shhh…I'm sorry. You're alright. It's over now. I'm sorry," Corvo said softly as he looked down at me tenderly. Slowly the pain subsided and began to turn into a deep throb. "I'm sorry," He said again as he wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, I hadn't even realized I'd cried a bit until the kind gesture. He kissed me tenderly as he held himself still, letting the pain inside of me die down and flicker out as his lips continued to distract me from the discomfort. But as the pain faded away I quickly became aware of the need deep inside of me demanding to be sated, and this wasn't doing it.

"Corvo, do something," I panted against his lips as I trailed my hands down his arms. He began to move slowly, pulling out of my channel before pushing himself back in again. The first few times it hurt, but then it started to feel good, and I was moaning Corvo's name again as he picked up speed. The deep hot pressure inside me building to all-time highs once again as he pounded into me, with each hard fast stroke sending new waves of tingly pleasure throughout my body. I hardly noticed his hands trailing across my sides, my arms, my thighs; my body could hardly sense the movements over the waves of pleasure he was giving me. I was aware of his lips on my ear, my jaw, my neck; he leaned up to bite my lower lip between his teeth and tug gently. I mewled under him as I dug my fingers into his back, as his hands found my breasts once again.

I noticed how sweat started to drip off Corvo's body as he kept going, and how his breath became more and more ragged with each stroke. At the same time my whole body was quivering from the inside out, and I could feel myself approaching the edge of something all too quickly. My body tingled, and my legs suddenly felt a bit cold as my toes curled into my feet on their own accord. "Corvo," I yelled his name; partially out of pleasure, and partially out of fear for what unknown thing was about to happen. A brief second later I fell over the edge, intense waves of pleasure carrying me far away as my body writhed under his with a mind of its own. I was still there but at the same time I oddly enough wasn't; I was in a daze of bliss, not a care in the world. I could still sense that Corvo was still thrusting into me, still searching for something himself. I couldn't really feel what he was doing though, I wasn't myself enough to be completely attached to my body at the moment. It seemed like an eternity before I slowly felt myself drifting back down into reality. Somewhere that was oddly close, but at the same time far away, part of me registered that Corvo must have found his release as well. His body seized, and I heard him grunt as I felt him squeeze my hips hard.

When I finally drifted back into full reality I noticed that Corvo was practically crushing me with the weight of his body, his arms trembling as they attempted to continue holding whatever small fraction of his weight he could manage. His breathing was fast, shaky, and shallow; but as the moments passed it began to slow. He finally managed to push the bulk of his weight off my body, and pull his now limp manhood out of my channel. Without him inside of me I felt terribly empty, and a small pulse of pain began to resonate throughout me again. He flopped down heavily on the other side of the bed, trying to control his breathing as he tugged on my arm weakly; and I couldn't help but wonder what he must have just experienced, what could make this man so weak?

"C'mere," He requested weakly as I squirmed into his open arms, even with my limbs feeling like they were made of lead. I had no idea how long I laid there, dazed, somewhere in between conscious and unconsciousness until Corvo's voice cut through the silence.

"I love you, Jessamine. I'm sorry I hurt you," He offered tenderly as he tried to soothe my wild hair.

"It's okay. That was really…wow…is it like that for everyone? Just so…woosh…" I said softly as I tried, and failed to put a sentence together.

"I think I broke you, princess," He chuckled as he planted a soft kiss on my lips, "You should sleep now…you'll be better in the morning," He said softly as he pulled the blanket on the foot of the bed over our naked bodies.

"No…I don't wanna leave you…" I rambled off as I buried my head deep in his smooth, strong chest.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here all night," He chuckled as he pulled me as tight into him as he could. I tried to say something, but my head was foggy, and my body was pulling me into the dream world faster than I thought possible.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

I woke to the feeling of something tickling my side. I blinked in the dull morning light to see Corvo smiling down at me while trailing his fingers gently across my skin. He was always so stunning, and I couldn't help but notice how much softer his eyes were today than normal. I smiled as I shifted in the bed so I could pin him down and kiss him when I felt a small, sharp pain resonate throughout my pelvis, and the previous night came flooding back to me. Corvo and I had made love…I was no longer a virgin.

"Good morning princess," He whispered with a soft smile as he leaned down to press a kiss against my lips.

"Corvo…we did...stuff last night," I breathed softly as he pulled away.

"I'm well aware of that love. I couldn't possibly forget," Corvo replied with a smile as he took my hand in his, and kissed my knuckles one by one.

"Was I…decent? At the whole...love making thing?" I asked timidly, legitimately worried I wasn't going to get the answer I wanted.

"You were amazing and unforgettable. Unfortunately for you though, I'm never letting go of you now," He answered with a smile as he pulled me on top of him with ease, his bare skin on mine a feeling that I was happy to relish in. "I'm sorry I hurt you…it was inevitable," Corvo apologized as he combed through my messy hair with his fingers, gently pulling apart a few knots.

"It's alright. It doesn't hurt much anymore," I replied as I traced invisible patterns on his chest. We laid there in comfortable silence for a few moments as he continued to toy with my hair.

"We should get cleaned up. I noticed that the tub in the bathroom is plenty big for two," Corvo offered with a wink and I laughed a little, bringing back the pain in my belly. He pushed me off of him with ease before pulling the blankets off of us and standing up to stretch; I noticed to my mortification that there was dried blood on the white bedsheets, and I immediately worried if I'd started my cycle last night.

"Corvo…I'm sorry about the sheets. I um—didn't realize it was that time of the month already…I just finished having mine," I stuttered through my sorry excuse for an apology, embarrassed by what had happened while Corvo turned around to face me. I was immediately face to face with his clearly erect manhood, and I couldn't help but swallow somewhat nervously; he was so thick and long, I had a hard time believing he'd actually fit inside me. Was he ready to make love again so soon? I wasn't sure if I would even be able to if I'd started bleeding.

"Jessamine. You're fine, and you're not…you know. Even if you were I wouldn't care," Corvo replied as he pulled me out of bed and placed my feet on the ground with ease.

"But…the blood," I murmured as I blushed down at the ground.

"That happens after sex," Corvo replied softly as he tousled my hair, trying to lighten the mood I was in.

"Every time?" I asked softly as he took me by the hand, and began to lead me out of the bedroom and towards the powder room.

"No. Just your first," He answered as he pulled me inside the bathroom. Turning on the water in the tub before climbing in, gesturing for me to follow. I clambered in after him, letting him pull me down so I was sitting on his lap, his manhood poking between my thighs and resting against my sore slit.

"I have a lot of questions," I mumbled quietly, not expecting Corvo to hear me.

"I'm here to teach you everything you need to know…remember?" Corvo whispered in my ear as he nuzzled the side of my head. He was being particularly affectionate today, and I knew it was because of what happened last night.

"Are you ready to have sex again?" I asked timidly, as I touched the tip of his manhood tentatively with my finger.

"No, not particularly. I could, but I'm not exactly in the mood at the moment. Why?" He inquired after responding to my question.

"Because you're aroused right now," I replied as the hot water covered me up to my navel.

"Jessamine, I wake up with an erection almost every morning, it's just what men do. It's not because I'm dying to fuck you again, it's just a thing that happens," He explained with a chuckle as he pushed my loose hair over one of my shoulders and kissed my bare neck. I scowled slightly at the term he used, the word fuck felt dirty to me, I much preferred referring to it as making love. I quickly tried to think back over the time I'd spent with Corvo, had he ever referred to sex as love making? Not that I could remember he hadn't. I shook away the thought as he nibbled on the juncture of my neck and shoulder.

"You were really gentle last night," I whispered as I trailed my fingers across his hair dusted thighs.

"So?" He pressed as he reached out and turned off the water, before trailing his hands down my arms, leaving goosebumps in his path.

"I really enjoyed it…" I whispered softly as he started to rub a bar of soap across my shoulders, cleaning me slowly. All the while I was trying to ignore the responses my body was giving to his innocent touches.

"So did I, you may just turn me into a saint yet,"

* * *

 **A/N:** I apologize for the delay of this chapter! I promise I will get the next one out sooner than it took me to get you this one! A big thank you to GhostAssassin1993, YagamiRaven, ShadowsandLight20, and Caldwin for your reviews! It was nice to see that a few of you were interested in me continuing the story with a few one-shots, and a few of your reviews made me laugh XD. Thank you for the time it took to give me your input :) Best wishes to all of my lovely readers until next chapter, hopefully the long-awaited sex scene keeps you occupied until next time. ;)


	28. Chapter 28

**Warning: NSFW/NSFS, Smut.**

* * *

Chapter 28: New Things

* * *

I took my time bathing with Jessamine, answering her many questions about sex while completely exploring her soft ivory skin. The whole time I was incredibly aware of how sensitive and responsive she was to every small touch and caress. I wasn't expecting it when she turned around in the tub so she was facing me, and I couldn't help but look her over; I had always known that she was small, but it hadn't occurred to me until last night just how dainty she was. In all honesty part of me was a little scared at the thought of being rough with her again, it would be much too easy to accidentally hurt her.

"It's my turn," Jessamine stated as she held out a hand towards me, breaking me out of my trance.

"What?" I asked, confused, I wasn't sure what she meant.

"Give me the soap," She ordered, so I placed it in her outstretched hand. I watched as she wetted it and rubbed it between her hands until she worked up a good lather, before letting it slip to the bottom of the tub with a soft thud. She reached out and started working her hands across my chest, lathering me up. I couldn't help but smirk when she distractedly started tracing the lines where my muscles cut away from each other. I closed my eyes and leaned back as I relaxed and relished in the feeling of her hands exploring my body; her skin soft, warm and slippery on mine. I knew she wasn't trying to seduce me, but I couldn't help the lust I felt growing inside me from her light, curious touches. She continued to explore, her hands traveling up my neck and around the back of my head. I couldn't help but shiver a bit; I knew I would never admit it to anyone else, but I loved it when she touched all my most defenseless areas.

"Corvo, how can I make you feel good?" Jessamine questioned softly, and I opened my eyes to see her staring at me curiously.

"By doing what you are right now," I replied with a slight chuckle as I combed through her slightly tangled, wet hair with my hand mindlessly.

"You know what I meant," She huffed before tossing a handful of sudsy water in my face, I chuckled as I wiped the excess water away. I paused a moment to stare longingly into her eyes, waiting until she fully relaxed once again to splash her with the bathwater. She glared up at me through her now soaking wet hair, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I should demote you," Jessamine growled as she parted her hair once again, before wringing some of the water out of it.

"You wouldn't do that," I replied sweetly as I stood up and clambered out of the tub.

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked indignantly as she stood up in an attempt to challenge me. I smiled as I handed her a towel off the nearby counter.

"Because you enjoy my constant company," I answered as I leaned in, cupped her chin with my hand and kissed her. I pulled away a few short moments later happy to see a small smile on her lips as I grabbed myself a towel. I watched as she climbed out of the tub and began to dry off, as I leaned over and undid the drain plug.

"So are you going to tell me or not?" Jessamine questioned curiously as I wrapped my towel around my waist, I glanced over to see her toweling down her hair.

"I'll tell you. Not right now, but I will," I replied as I opened the door to the restroom and made my way out. Leaving her to follow after me if she wanted to.

"Why not?" I heard Jessamine ask as her footsteps pattered up behind me.

"Because, I think we both need to eat, and maybe I'd like to cuddle you a bit more before we repeat last night's activities," I replied with a slight chuckle as I walked into our bedroom before turning to face her. Jessamine opened her mouth to protest but her stomach grumbled loudly. "My point exactly," I chuckled as I leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Fine," She grumbled as walked past me. She picked up my forgotten button up shirt from last night before shrugging it on, I couldn't help but watch admirably as she buttoned it up. My shirt was large on her and covered her to her mid thigh, and by the void was she sexy in my clothes with her damp hair and sultry smile.

"Let's go cook."

* * *

TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER

* * *

Jessamine slowly kissed and nibbled her way down my chest as I drew in a sharp breath. She certainly hadn't wasted any time; I had literally just finished explaining blowjobs to her when she started showing me her affections. She continued to kiss her way down my abdomen as she undid the buttons on my trousers with ease; I reached down and buried my hands in her soft, dark hair as she started to pull my trousers off. I tried to hold back a moan when she palmed my quickly hardening dick through my underwear before teasingly licking it over the fabric, I couldn't stop myself from tugging on her hair slightly as a groan escaped my lips. I glanced down to see her smiling up at me rambunctiously; she was going to be the death of me.

"Like that?" She asked as she toyed with the hem of my boxers.

"Yea...just like that," I replied slightly breathlessly as she pulled my boxers down to my mid thigh with ease. I let my head fall back against the arm of the couch, as she wrapped her soft hand around my girth and stroked my length a few times. I clenched my teeth as my cock fully hardened in her hand, her long, slow strokes sending small waves of pleasure through me and causing a small seed of pressure to form deep inside of my body. I felt her tentatively lick a stripe across my shaft, from base to tip; I couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath as my fingers tugged at her hair again. I didn't mean to tug on her hair, I just couldn't help it, she was too damn much. I felt her tongue flick over the tip of my cock over and over, I moaned loudly before pulling my head up to glance down at my devilish woman. Jessamine paused for a moment to smile up at me before biting her lower lip. She looked beautiful and I knew I looked like a mess, she turned me into a mess. I untangled my hands from her hair and ran the pad of my thumb across her cheek before she spoke up.

"I think I like this," She stated softly just before licking another stripe up my length. I let my mouth fall open as my eyes closed and my brows drew together from the sudden sensations she gave me. "It's sort of nice to see you flustered for once, it makes me feel kind of…" She trailed off as though looking for the right word while I was just barely managing to get a grip on myself once again.

"Dominant," I panted, providing her with the word she was searching for. Jessamine said nothing as she smiled up at me for a brief moment before taking the head of my cock in her mouth and sucking on it. I let my head fall back against the couch once again as I arched my back and moaned loudly. My response seemed to spur her on, as she began taking more and more of my cock into her mouth with each stroke; her mouth was warm, soft, and wet around me. I relished in the waves of pleasure that were radiating from my core, and throughout my body, as I tried to focus on not pulling on her hair too hard. I could feel the pressure inside of me building quickly under her attentions. "Jessamine…" I whimpered as she seemed to find that her comfort limit was at about three-quarters of my length. Part of me wanted to force myself down her throat; but she was trying this for the first time, she had the right to do it the way she wanted. Besides, I was enjoying myself more than enough with her doing exactly what she was at the moment.

Jessamine was reducing me to a pile of quivering nerves faster than I had expected. She continued to slurp her way across my shaft, her head bobbing as she took me in her mouth almost greedily. Her hands kneaded softly at my thighs and hips as she continued to suck on me; occasionally pausing to swirl her tongue around my tip, causing me to arch my back up involuntarily. I was a moaning mess when she finally pulled her mouth off my cock, and I whimpered as the pleasure that came with the blowjob ceased immediately. I lifted my head from the couch to see her getting on her knees on the floor before reaching out and taking my dick in her hand; she stroked me with ease, her saliva providing the perfect lubrication for the situation as I felt the pressure inside of me beginning to build once again. She noticed me looking up at her and smiled down at me before tangling her free hand in my hair, pulling my head back against the arm of the couch.

"Ah…fuck…" I panted breathily as I attempted to lift my head once again; but Jessamine just pushed me back down forcefully before leaning over and beginning to plant a trail of small kisses from just under my ear, down to my collar bone. I moaned under her as she began pumping my dick harder and faster in her soft hand, meanwhile, her lips on my neck were sending small shivers down my spine. I grabbed fistfuls of the couch cushions under me in hopes that it would help me release some of the tension that was filling my body all too quickly, yet at the same time not quickly enough. She nibbled her way back up my neck, biting hard enough to leave small bruises as I whimpered under her from a mixture of the pleasure, the ever-building pressure inside of me, and the vulnerability.

Women never did anything even remotely dominant to me without my explicit permission, they always knew their place was under me; but Jessamine was different, she didn't look up at me as though asking permission before touching me. She was my equal, and she was making damn sure I got that through my head, she wasn't about to let me call all the shots and stand idly by while submitting to my every wish. And I enjoyed every second of letting her have control, because this was my Jessamine, and I could get used to this kind of treatment if it's what she liked.

"Jessamine…" I panted as she began to shower the other side of my neck with her affections. I could feel the heat pooling at the base of my cock, and my balls tightening as she brought me incredibly close to my release. I knew I didn't have much longer until I was going to lose it. "I can't…I…" I stammered as she nibbled on my collarbone. Jessamine seemed to understand what I was trying to say, despite the fact that I couldn't even form a complete sentence. She removed her hand from my hair and leaned down to lick the head of my cock again. She had just barely started to suck me back into her mouth when I couldn't hold back the pressure that had built inside of me any longer. I grunted as I squeezed the handfuls of cushion I had ahold of, my body seized for a few moments; the pressure building then falling, then building once again, over and over until I slowly relaxed into the contentment and happy numbness I always felt after I came.

I panted heavily as I tried to regain my breath; I felt Jessamine crawl back up onto the couch before sprawling out on top of me, her small form pressing against me. I felt her hand wrap behind my head before she pulled me up to look at her, I looked into her bright blue eyes dazedly before she pressed a kiss against my lips. I groaned against her, and she took the opportunity to run her tongue across mine; I tasted myself on her tongue, salty and musky. Part of me wondered where everything had gone, before a small part of my brain registered that she must have swallowed; damn if this woman wasn't going to be the death of me, and I was more than alright with that. She pulled away from the kiss before smiling softly. I lifted my arms and draped them across her back before letting my head fall back against the armrest of the couch. Jessamine nuzzled into my bare chest, and I just focused on relaxing until I could feel my strength come all the way back.

"Was that alright?" Jessamine questioned as I lifted my head and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back through my white shirt she was wearing.

"That was amazing," I answered as she peeked up at me from under her dark lashes.

"Really?" She asked shyly, as though she was worried I was just telling her what she wanted to hear. I cradled her cheek with a hand as I kissed her gently, relishing in her smooth lips moving against mine.

"Really. I think you broke me this time," I replied and I watched a sultry smile cross her face, she felt powerful, and I could tell she liked it. "Should I repay the favor?" I questioned with a wink and then watched her blush.

"Only if you want to…" She trailed off shyly as she traced her fingers across my collarbone.

"What do you want?" I asked softly as I placed two fingers under her chin and pulled her face back up to mine.

"I would like that," She answered with a small smile and I smirked as I kissed the corner of her mouth. I sat upright on the couch, cradling Jessamine against my chest as I pried my trousers and boxers the rest of the way off of my legs with my feet. I stood up, holding her close against me as she giggled and wrapped her arms around the back of my neck before nuzzling into my chest. I carried her to the bedroom on my still slightly shaky legs before depositing her gently on the fresh covers.

I straddled her as I pushed some of her hair out of her face before kissing her softly. She kissed me back passionately, her hands tangling in my hair as she tried to pull me closer. I chuckled as I pulled away from the kiss to nuzzle the side of her face. "Someone's eager," I whispered before I nibbled on her ear gently. She remained silent until I pulled away to smile down at her as I traced her lips under my thumb.

"I love you," Jessamine said softly as she reached up to caress my jaw. I couldn't help the familiar tightening in my chest from those simple words and I couldn't help but smile down at her, my own personal angel. This woman had been my redemption; I had never deserved her, I never deserved to live the life she'd given me, but for some reason I'd never quite be able to understand she'd still given me everything she possibly could. I pulled myself from my rambling thoughts and I leaned down, kissing her softly. Hoping to release some of the pressure in my chest, but only causing it to grow more. I kissed down her jaw, her neck, and began to undo the buttons on her borrowed shirt revealing more creamy flesh underneath; and I kissed every inch of it. I followed the path down her chest, between her breasts and across the flat panes of her stomach, until I reached the small patch of hair between her thighs. She squirmed under me and tugged on my hair as I ran a hand up her thigh and stopped just before her entrance.

I pulled my hand away and ran a finger across her slit to find that she was already quite wet, I smiled mischievously as I decided that I was going to tease her a bit. I dragged one of her legs up before kissing her inner thigh from her knee to her hip, nipping on her skin here and there just hard enough to get a few whimpers out of her. Then I did the same to her other leg, relishing in the little noises she made and the feeling of her skin on mine. I wanted to do so many things to her, but she was still so new to all of this and I knew I needed to pace myself. I finally grew tired of teasing her. I pushed my finger as deep inside of her wetness as I could before moving further up on the bed. I leaned down and kissed her slowly as I worked my finger inside of her, warming her up before adding a second and relishing in the moan that followed.

I kissed a sloppy trail down her neck as I searched for all of her most sensitive spots, both on her flawless skin and inside of her fiery warmth; and every spot I found I showered with profound affections. I loved watching her come undone beneath me; my sweet, composed, shy Jessamine turning into a completely different beast beneath my lips and fingers. She dragged her nails across my back as she praised my labors, arching her back into me as I used my thumb to massage the particularly sensitive nub in front of her entrance.

"Corvo," Jessamine moaned as I continued rubbing and pumping my fingers inside of her. I kissed a path down her inner forearm to the tips of her fingers. She tried to touch my face, accidentally letting her ring finger slip into my open mouth. I couldn't help but bite the slender digit, pulling a sharp whimper from her. I pulled her hand from my face to make sure I hadn't hurt her, I couldn't tell if I'd elicited good or bad whimper; judging from her unharmed skin it was the former. I took the opportunity to interlace our fingers before pinning her hand to the bed beneath mine, letting her squeeze my hand instead of blindly searching for some kind of purchase against the rest of my body.

I couldn't help but smile mischievously as I watched her nearing her release, and it spurred me to speed up my intruding fingers and my massaging thumb; pulling a long sloppy moan from her. "I love you," I whispered softly into her ear before nibbling on the soft cartilage teasingly. It didn't pass me by how her grip on my hand had grown ever tighter, or how her breath was coming in short shaky pants. "You can let go princess…" I trailed off as I kissed just under her ear, "I'll catch you," I finished before I nibbled my way down her pulse line just as I began to feel her finding her release under me. I helped her through it, letting her ride it out to its full potential until she caved under me; completely spent from the aftermath of my attention.

I withdrew my hand from between her legs, wiping it clean on the sheets we'd just changed this morning. I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips which she returned both weakly and sloppily. I forced myself not to chuckle at her current state, I found her completely adorable in her vulnerability. I pressed several more kisses to her face, her cheeks, her jaw, the bridge of her nose; all the while she giggled and explored my chest with a limp but curious hand. I couldn't help but feel protective and possessive of her in her current state even though she was regaining her wit relatively quickly, and I pulled her tight against my chest before nuzzling her neck.

"You're mine," I growled softly into her neck as I explored the side of her torso with gentle fingers. The admission surprised me a bit, I'd never laid claim to another person the way I just had with her…but was I telling her she didn't have a choice? Or was I asking her permission? I couldn't even answer that question myself, and that's when I realized it was a combination of both; which also surprised me, I rarely asked for what I wanted, I simply took it. I pulled away from her neck to stare into her eyes finding them both content and curious.

"You're mine?" She asked softly before reaching up and resting a hand against my cheek and jaw. I couldn't help but press my face deeper into her hand before closing my eyes and pressing a kiss against her palm. I nuzzled into her hand as I opened my eyes to stare down at her contently.

"All yours," I replied with a small smile, and I watched her eyes light up even more as a large smile spread across her face. I was surprising myself left and right today. If someone had told me a year ago that I'd give myself over more than willingly to an Empress who was seven years my junior I would have laughed. But here I was, giving myself over to her completely and loving every second of it.

"I've been all yours ever since the moment I laid my eyes on you," She responded and I couldn't stop the giddy smile from spreading on my face as I leaned down to press another kiss to her perfect lips. If there was one thing that I was certain of it was that I could never find another Jessamine in a hundred lifetimes…she may not have been the first woman I'd ever touched, but she was the first woman I'd ever loved. And I knew deep within my heart that she would be the last woman I would ever touch or love in this life. If I happened to lose her tomorrow I would spend the rest of my life alone just hoping for the day that I'd finally get to stand by her side once again; because I have only ever felt religion when I laid with her.

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 **A/N:** Thank you ShadowsandLight20, GhostAssassin1993, and a guest for your reviews! Some quick answers to the questions I was asked: There is going to be a few more rough scenes (3 if everything decides to write out the way I have it drafted), but his character is going to eventually develop away from that and into Lord Protector/Family Man in the future. I have put a bit of thought into the other kinks that the two would have, but I'm gonna hold out on that question so that when we get to that part of the story it'll be a surprise! (Sorry! I know I'm evil!) ShadowsandLight20 I'm actually gonna turn that question around and ask you what kinks you think they would have! (Maybe you'll give me an idea I haven't thought of yet ;D) And no, there was no condom usage! Lol. Last chapter I had a reader ask me what I use for inspiration (and usually it's music) my inspiration for this chapter was Coming Down by Halsey for anyone that likes listening to music. Anyways that it for the Q &A. Beware! The mid-term season is upon us, I wish everyone plenty of coffee and easy classes!


	29. Chapter 29

**Warning: NSFS/NSFW, Smut.**

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Chapter 29: Lover's Quarrel

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We laid in bed together in comfortable silence as we read our books, we still had 5 days here if we didn't count the day we were currently on, and I wanted time to stop. I wanted to be able to spend the next month here with Corvo, I loved being able to be ourselves with no one watching. I loved how comfortable Corvo was with showing affection, and I loved the fact that he'd finally, after so many months of waiting, made love to me. However, I couldn't help but wonder when Corvo would want to be rough in bed again, the last time he'd been rough at all had been months ago back on the ship. Part of me was worried about what he'd do this time, the other part was a tad bit intrigued and curious; I knew he wouldn't hurt me, if there was one thing I'd learned in the past few months of just being courted by Corvo it was that he was much softer than he appeared on the outside. All bark and no bite as some would say.

I peeked up at him from my book to see him fully entertained with his, my eyes drifted across his face and the slightly concerned expression he had on right now. I couldn't help but smile as I watched him nibble on his lower lip as his eyes continued to peruse the page he was on. My eyes drifted ever lower as I looked over at the muscles defining Corvo's back, my lingering gaze was interrupted by the blanket covering him from the waist down. I forced myself to look away from his bare skin only to find that he had been watching me the whole time I had been admiring his body, staring at me with a small amused smile. I couldn't hide the blush that I felt rapidly spreading across my cheeks as I attempted to quickly hide my face behind my recently forgotten book.

"No you don't," Corvo chuckled as he pulled the book from my grasp with ease, before tossing both of our books on the floor next to the bed. He straddled me with ease as I giggled and attempted hide under the blanket, managing to pull it over my head for a brief moment before Corvo just pulled it back down. "You can't hide from me," He joked as he rested his weight on me, then leaned down, planting a small kiss on my forehead.

"I can do this though…" I trailed off just before my hand found the curve of his hipbone and I began to tickle his side sloppily. He laughed as he rolled off of me, and I took the opportunity to pin him down on the bed for once.

"Jessie. Stop, no," Corvo pleaded momentarily before he regained his bearing and grabbed my wrists in his hands, holding me back from tickling him. "You are going to be the death of me," He panted with a small smile on his face.

"At least you'll die happy," I joked as I watched his eyes drift from my face and across my body. I blushed shyly as I remembered that I wasn't wearing any clothes, it was just so easy to forget when it was just Corvo and me.

"I love you," Corvo whispered softly as his eyes found mine once again, his admission completely removing my prior demure feelings. I couldn't help the surge of shivers inside me from his small admission, threatening to break out of their cage and escape into the world; it seemed as though regardless of how many times I heard him say those words, they affected me the same each time. "Are you going to grow tired of me?" Corvo's question caught me entirely off guard. What was he talking about? I pulled my wrists from his hands with ease as I rested the bulk of my weight on his chest, bracing my chin on my steepled fingers as I stared down at him.

"Why would you even ask that?" I inquired as I stared into his concerned brown eyes.

"I can't help but worry that I'm just a phase for you. I mean…There's nothing special about me; you're an Empress, I'm a retired assassin. And there's going to come a day when you have Prince's, and Aristocrat's, and Chancellor's just throwing themselves at your feet begging to marry you; compared to men like that I'm hardly remarkable," Corvo explained, clearly trying to hide how much his question was bothering him, but I was learning how to see behind the mask he always put up. I couldn't help but wonder where his self-consciousness came from, I had never seen Corvo like this before; what had happened that caused him to question the depth or purity of my feelings for him?

"I don't want a Prince, or an Aristocrat, or a Chancellor in my bed. I don't want another man in my life who's just going to hold me back from going on adventures, and living my life, and having fun, because it's 'dangerous'. I want someone who's going to push me towards doing things that scare me…like traveling the world, and climbing to the top of Kaldwin Bridge, and learning how to swim," I trailed off my small explanation as I noticed the look of scrutiny Corvo was giving me.

"You don't know how to swim?" He questioned quietly as he stared up at me, looking slightly concerned.

"Out of everything I just told you, that's all you heard?" I asked as I threw my hands in the air, I couldn't believe this man. Here I was, trying to reassure him in the most sincere way possible that I was completely sure that I wanted everything between us, and he was getting distracted by unimportant details that only served to show how boring my life was before he came into it.

"Sorry…I just…You really can't swim?" He inquired once again, clearly trying to discern whether or not I was joking.

"Corvo!" I scolded him as I slapped his chest playfully. He chuckled before speaking up once more.

"Alright! Alright…So you're sure about us?" He asked as he buried a hand in my hair, cradling the back of my head and gently rubbing his fingers into my scalp.

"As long as you don't turn into a stuffy, boring, cynical old man. I like you because of how brave, and fun, and adventurous you are. You push me to do new things instead of telling me to just stay in my comfort zones," I replied as I smiled down at him. Unfortunately, it seemed as though my small tirade only served to remind him once again about my lack of practical life skills.

"I need to teach you how to swim. I can't believe you don't know how to swim," Corvo rambled off amusedly as my smile turned into a glare. I was trying to be cute and reassuring, and he was getting distracted by nonsense.

"How long is it going to take you to get over that?" I asked tiredly, I didn't want to hear him worry over something like that for the rest of our vacation.

"Well, I just don't understand how you live on an islan — Mmmph," I cut Corvo off by kissing him roughly, pulling a groan from him as I explored his mouth. His hands exploring my back spurred me on to keep going, I pulled away from his mouth to kiss the stubble on his jaw that he hadn't shaved since we'd arrived in Potterstead; I relished in the roughness of it against my lips as Corvo's fingers dug into my back. I continued to kiss down his neck to his collarbone, as he bit back a small moan from under me.

"Well hello there…What's gotten into you?" Corvo questioned, his voice raspy and breathy as I nibbled on his collarbone. I could tell just by the tone of his voice that I was starting to rouse the spark inside of him.

"Nothing's gotten into me," I answered innocently as I leaned back up and kissed the side of his mouth for a moment before bringing my mouth to his ear. "I'm a damn Empress; I take what I want when I want it…And right now, I want you," I whispered quietly just before I nibbled on his ear lobe, and smiled at the small shaky breath it pulled from him; I was beginning to find that I quite enjoyed turning my skilled assassin into mush under my lips.

"Jessamine…I'm not a teenager anymore, I can't keep up with you. I need a little bit of time to get my energy back," Corvo chuckled under me, his voice still raspy with lust.

"You're getting old on me already? I thought you were still in your prime…But, I mean, if you really are so ancient I suppose I can give you another half hour," I teased him gently as I nibbled down his pulse line, knowing he wouldn't be able to let my teasing hold true.

"I am not old," Corvo defended himself quickly as he arched under me, as I nibbled slightly rougher than necessary on the hollow just under his jaw.

"My old man," I whispered smoothly against his skin. I didn't have time to continue showering him with my affections before he was pinning me back against the bed as he straddled me, pressing his lips roughly against mine. It appeared as though I was going to get exactly what I wanted from him.

"I'll show you what an old man can do," Corvo growled as he pulled away from the kiss for a moment, just before his lips crushed mine once again. His hands exploring my skin with a neediness he had contained with ease a few moments ago. When he pulled his lips from mine to explore other parts of my body I caught my breath just enough to speak up.

"What makes you think you always get to be on top?" I questioned breathlessly as his lips and teeth found my shoulder.

"I'm the man. It's where I belong," Corvo growled as he kissed across my chest, his hands digging into my thighs. I mewled softly under him as his teeth and hands grew slightly rougher on my skin. Last night he had been so gentle and sweet, the perfect portrait of what a gentleman should be; it seemed as though it was slightly more difficult for him to keep himself completely reigned in this time. I was alright with it though, I went into this relationship fully knowing that I wasn't casting my lot with some pompous paper pushing gentleman; no, I had cast my lot with a rough and tough bodyguard, I had been expecting this kind of treatment for a while now.

"Last time I checked I was the one in this relationship with more power," I panted under him as he continued ravaging my body with his attention.

"Oh, really?" Corvo inquired as he pulled away from my skin to stare me down with smoldering dark eyes, full of lust I'd become so very well acquainted with lately. "Was that a challenge…Empress," He finished as he smirked down at me, clearly believing his strength was unrivaled by mine; he wasn't wrong, but I had a few tricks up my sleeve that he hadn't seen yet.

"If it was?" I questioned as I stared him down defiantly. The slow smirk that crossed his face served to render him somehow more roguishly handsome, and I nibbled on my lower lip somewhat nervously.

"Then I promise you, when I win I'll at least attempt to be merciful to my new little captive," Corvo growled softly before his teeth found my ear and began to nibble on the delicate skin.

"I suppose I can live with these terms…" I trailed off as I forced myself to ignore the swirling storm of feelings inside of me as he pulled away from my ear. He smirked down at me for a moment before his lips found mine while his hands grasped my wrists, pinning them above my head with ease. I wanted to win, I wanted to force him to realize that I could rival his physical prowess even if I wasn't as strong as him. I purposely balled my hands into fists and weakly struggled against him, I wasn't trying to escape; I was just trying to distract him from noticing that I was moving my legs under him. I wrapped a leg around the outside of Corvo's thigh, while he chuckled at my futile attempts to escape his grasp on my wrists.

"If you think I'm going to go easy on you just because you're a lady you are quite mistaken love," Corvo chuckled as he kissed along my jaw, causing another fresh flurry of un-ignorable feelings to swirl inside of me; lust, desire, need.

"If you think I want anything less than a challenge then you're the one who's mistaken sir," I retorted breathlessly and he chuckled again, his breath warming my upper neck. When he pressed another kiss to my lips I kissed him back passionately, nipping at his lower lip and drawing a small moan from him just as I wanted to. I took the opportunity of him being lost in our kisses to un-ball my fists and flatten my hands as much as possible before slipping out of his grasp quickly, and with more ease than I expected. He seemed annoyed with my momentary triumph until I buried both of my hands in his hair, pulling him tighter against my body. He decided to let me keep my hands free as I dug my fingers into his shoulders and scalp, tugging at his body in a needy and desperate way that was truly genuine.

I continued kissing him fiercely, hoping to make him a little senseless with a lack of air and burning desire; I knew my best offense against him was my ability to cloud his mind. I ran my hands across the thick panes of his back, slowly bringing my free leg up under his torso until my knee was pressed firmly against his stomach; I fitted one hand against his waist and grabbed his forearm with my other. I relished in the feeling on his skin on mine for a moment before pushing against him with one-half of my body, and pulling him into the bed with the other half; I just barely succeeded in tipping him over, and I quickly moved to straddle him as he fell on his back on the other side of the bed. As soon as I righted myself on top of him I grabbed his wrists in my hands, pinning them above his head as he had just done to me.

"You little —" I cut him off as I pressed a quick kiss to his lips, before pulling away only moments later.

"I'm not as helpless as you think I am," I smiled down at him proudly as he glared up at me. It had been a feat to push him off balance and onto his back; I knew without a doubt he could free his hands from my feeble grasp if he wanted to, my hands didn't even wrap all the way around his thick wrists. I watched as his expression turned from loathing to lust once again as he stared up at me while laying completely still.

"So I see. Well then, what are you going to do with me?" Corvo questioned as he stared at me with his smoldering eyes.

"You're letting me win?" I asked, I was honestly a bit shocked. I'd expected him to overpower me and then rub it in my face that I wasn't as strong as him. That's what he did every time we play fought, he never let me win. Were we play fighting right now? I held in a snort of amusement as the term, sexual play fighting crossed my mind.

"I am. Don't worry, I assure you I'll get you back in the not too distant future," He replied before winking up at me and I couldn't help but blush down at him. I wasn't even sure what to do now that I'd won, I'd wanted to win but I hadn't actually expected him to let me. This was the second time this day I was getting the opportunity to do whatever I wanted to him, he'd seemed to enjoy what I'd done to him just a few hours ago, but I also wanted to change things up a little bit. I smiled softly as I leaned down and planted a small kiss on Corvo's lips; he broke his wrists from my grasp with ease, burying his hands in my loose hair until I pulled away, dragging his arms away from my body and pinning them above his head once again.

"You don't get to touch yet…" I whispered softly as I dragged my hands from his wrists down his arms slowly, relishing in the feeling of smooth skin dusted with fine hairs. "You better keep your hands where they belong," I finished as I stared down at his shocked expression, clearly nobody had ever told him no in the bedroom, and I was slightly proud that I was the first to put this man in his place.

"And if I choose not to follow those orders?" Corvo questioned somewhat defiantly as he quirked a brow at me just before I began to kiss a line down the stubble on his jaw.

"Then I'll just have to force you to listen to me," I whispered against his collarbone before I kissed my way down his hard abdomen. Corvo chuckled for a brief moment just before I cut him short when I nibbled on the rim of his navel, causing him to buck his hips under me. I couldn't help but smirk at how easy it was to find all his weak spots, my hand ventured further down his torso. Following the small trail of hair from his navel down his hips, I wrapped my hand around his manhood slowly; I was still unused to the way his body felt under me, like satin wrapped around steel. Surprisingly soft and hard all at the same time. He moaned under me as I stroked his hard length a few times, and I couldn't help but look up at him. He was a beautiful mess with his gritted teeth and his brows drawn together, and I couldn't help but smile softly as I leaned up and ran my free hand through his hair. He opened his eyes slowly and I immediately noticed the lust he was clearly trying to keep in check, part of me wanted to torture him the way he always tortured me; with teasing touches and kisses, getting him worked up to the point of begging me for release, but it quickly became apparent that I was a much more benevolent lover than him. I was already longing for him in all the best ways possible, and I wanted to feel him against me and moving inside me just as much as he clearly wanted me.

"You've gotten a lot more adventurous in less than a day," Corvo pointed out while I was desperately trying to figure out how I was going to have sex with him. I had the drive, but I lacked the experience that made him such a great lover.

"What can I say? I guess you've worn off on me," I stated as I came to the realization of what I could do. The whole reason we'd wrestled in the first place had been because I didn't think he should be on top every time, so this time I was going to be the one on top. I moved from laying on my side next to him to straddle him once again, purposely rubbing my sex against his hardness; it was impossible not to hear the small growl he let out as I teased him a bit.

"Jessie," Corvo growled softly as I continued to refuse to give him what he wanted. He teased me at nearly every opportunity that he had, it was only fair that he know my pain as well as I did. I only continued to tease him for a few moments though, because in denying him what he wanted, I was also denying myself the very thing that I was also longing for.

"Yes, Corvo?" I questioned with a coy smile, just before I slowly slid down his length until he was fully seated inside of me. I couldn't help but gasp slightly at the feel of Corvo filling me so completely, and apparently Corvo couldn't remain quiet either, because he released his own rumbling moan from under me. I couldn't help but smirk slightly as I splayed my hands out on his chest, lifting myself off of him just to slide him back inside of me as deep as he could go. He squirmed under me for a moment, fisting the sheets in his hands as I continued to ride him. I knew that I was going tortuously slow for him, but I was actually quite enjoying myself; it was nice to just feel him moving inside of me without the feeling of being too overwhelmed to properly take everything in. It seemed as though Corvo didn't feel similarly about the slow tempo though, his hands left the sheets to firmly grasp my hips, attempting to speed things up.

"Did I say that you get to touch yet?" I questioned as I pried his hands off of my body and pinned them on the bed at his sides. He glared at me for a long moment before pulling his hands from my grasp with ease and returning them to my hips once again.

"I think I'm done waiting for your permission," Corvo replied breathlessly before flipping me over with ease, pinning my back to the bed and smothering me with a comfortable amount of his weight. I yelped at the sudden change in direction, I was slightly disoriented from the unforeseen movements that pinned me under him, and before I could fully process it all his lips were crushing against mine as his hand kneaded my thigh firmly. It was only a few brief seconds before I realized that Corvo had denied me my chance to finally be the one in charge, despite the fact that I'd won; by some slim chance I'd managed to overpower Corvo for a moment, and now none of that mattered. Before I could start to complain about my new lack of control Corvo snapped his hips into mine, causing me to gasp as my fingers dug into his forearms, the sudden feeling of almost overwhelming pleasure making me forget what I wanted to say.

I continued to moan and squirm under him as he thrusted into me with reckless abandon. Everything was different from the last time we'd made love, this time there weren't any gentle caresses or any moments of hesitation. It almost seemed like this time Corvo knew what he wanted and he was taking it, nobody could tell him otherwise; I doubted I could have stopped him if I wanted to, but that wasn't a problem I had to deal with, I most certainly didn't want him to stop. I'd had fun on top of Corvo, but that's all it was...fun; Corvo could take me to heights that I would never be able to reach on my own. I felt the now familiar deep pressure slowly beginning to build inside of me as Corvo's hand found mine, interlacing our fingers before pressing me deeper into the bed.

I breathed Corvo's name as waves of pleasure continued to wash over me, just like waves lapping at the shore of a beach; he didn't respond, but he did let out a small chuckle against my jaw line as his free hand snaked between our bodies. His lips began to explore the side of my face as his hand found that delicious spot right above my sex and began to rub his thumb in small circles over it. I couldn't help but practically cry out his name at the new peaks of pleasure he was bringing me to, and I knew if he kept this up he'd bring me to the pinnacle of my release sooner than I'd prefer. I tried to pull his hand away for a moment before Corvo pushed my hand away, I panted heavily as I looked up at him; he looked like he was about to come undone at any moment as well, and I quickly realized that he wasn't trying to force things to go faster, he just didn't want to leave me unsatisfied. I let him continue to ravish my body as I came ever closer to the edge of ecstasy, my free hand fisting the blankets next to me as I felt the familiar tingling that signaled that I was so close to reaching my release.

Before I could fall over the edge Corvo found his own completion, he froze for a moment as he let out a soft moan and his body trembled; he only allowed himself to pause for a moment before gritting his teeth and continuing to pound into me, his thumb massaging faster and with more force than before. It was only seconds later until I followed him over that edge, moaning his name as my body clenched around his with a mind of its own. We were both silent as I ever so slowly began to feel the absolute serenity of my orgasm fade away, I was still slightly dazed when Corvo's voice finally broke the silence.

"Still mad at me for not following your 'orders'?" I was silent for a few moments as my mind slowly translated what his raspy voice had asked and then attempted to come up with a coherent response. I swallowed heavily and panted a bit more before my body finally began to recover from the rush of endorphins.

"I think I can find it in my heart to forgive you," I replied my voice hardly more than a whisper as I continued to try to slow my pulse. His raspy chuckle was music to my ears as he wrapped an arm around my waist before flopping onto his side next to me. He pulled my back into his chest tightly and nuzzled my neck for a moment before falling still, leaving only the wind outside and our mingled panting to fill the silence.

* * *

HALF AN HOUR LATER

* * *

I squirmed out of Corvo's arms with some slight difficulty, lifting his heavy, seemingly lead-laden limbs from my body was no easy task.

"Where do you think you're going?" Corvo questioned sleepily as he attempted to wrap his arm around my waist once more.

"I'm hungry," I complained as I pushed myself out of the range of his grasp.

"M'kay, I'll be there in a little bit," He stated, more to himself than to me; he had never been a heavy sleeper until we had started sharing the same bed, but ever since then he was more often than not a pain to rouse. I shook my head silently as I walked out of the room, closing the bedroom door behind me so I wouldn't accidentally wake him when I attempted to cook something edible. I had gotten incredibly lucky the first few times we had cooked together, I didn't expect each attempt in the kitchen to turn out as edible. As I walked toward the kitchen the cold nipped my skin harshly, a slight wind blew through the cabin and I immediately noticed that the front door was open. I wondered for a moment how it had come open, but then I wondered why the door hadn't been locked. I hadn't checked it so the fault was partially mine, but with Corvo being in charge of protecting me I expected a little bit more foresight on his part. The next thing that registered in my mind was a slight bit of tan flapping on the tea table being held down by a coaster, I walked around the couch and quickly realized that it was a small scrap of paper that definitely hadn't been there this morning when Corvo and I had been enjoying ourselves on the couch.

My first thought was that perhaps Corvo had left me a small note of his affections earlier in the day, knowing I would stumble upon it later. But as I picked it up in my hand and felt the flimsy thinness of it I immediately knew that it wasn't Corvo's. Corvo would have used the thick card stock that I kept on my desk back in Dunwall, not peasants paper. I felt a cold trickle of fear wash over me as I took in a deep shaky breath and unfolded the small piece of paper. On it were three small and simple words, written very sloppily in what appeared to be campfire ashes judging by how incredibly easy the words smeared across the paper. _We're watching you_ , I swallowed heavily as more fear filled me before turning into hollow dread. Was this some kind of sick joke? Who did we refer to? And why in the void were they watching us?

It had to be a joke, right? If it was the Overseer's or the City Guard they would have made their presence known immediately. Perhaps a child from Potterstead followed Corvo and I to the cabin and was trying to amuse himself in his otherwise boring city? Also, who dared threaten a princess and her Lord Protector, that had to be a punishable offense. Part of me wanted to go back into the bedroom and wake Corvo, show him the note and ask him his thoughts on it; the selfish part of me wanted to throw it in the fire and forget about it, like nothing more than a bad dream. I knew if I showed Corvo he would get incredibly worried over it, to the point of dragging us away from our small vacation and back to the safety that Dunwall offered. I was not ready to go home, not nearly; I was so perfectly happy here with him, I wasn't about to let some poor excuse for a prank ruin our week together.

I crumpled the note in my hand in frustration, only serving to smear the words together until they were a nearly illegible smear as I stomped toward the front door. I was about to slam it shut and lock it when I realized that Nika wasn't in the cabin anymore, she must have gotten out when the door had been open for who knew how long. Unless...no, someone wouldn't steal my dog; she served no real use other than to keep me company, and no one would want to feed a dog for the companionship. I swallowed before yelling for Nika, nothing but silence and the softly whipping wind returned my call. I called for her once more with similar results when Corvo's voice broke the silence. At the first hint of his voice, I crumpled the note further in my hand until it was a small wadded ball.

"It's colder than the outsider's heart in here, why don't you close the door?" I ignored his words and called for Nika once again, only for it to remain a fruitless and futile effort.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did she run off?" Corvo questioned as I felt his hand fall on my shoulder gently before a soft quilt was draped over my back; I couldn't tell if it was because he didn't want me getting cold, or if it was because I wasn't wearing any clothes, it was probably a mixture of both reasons. I turned to face him to find him shirtless but wearing a fresh set of trousers. Corvo was being incredibly sweet, and certainly didn't do a single thing wrong; however, I was on my nerve's end from the note, the door, and my now lost dog, and he was an easy scapegoat for my growing irritation.

"Yes, Corvo. She ran off," I bit back harshly, he said nothing before I spoke up once again. "Why didn't you lock the door?" I questioned, my voice holding a sharp and accusatory edge to it.

"I did," Corvo replied, his voice dark and tense; it was obvious that I had crossed a line, I had never spoken to Corvo this way before.

"Quite clearly you didn't," I growled back at him. I knew I was being unjustly harsh towards him but I couldn't stop myself either, I needed to let go of some of this frustration and unease and I'd already started.

"So you're calling me a liar now, are you?" Corvo questioned as he stepped closer. I knew his intimidation tactics by now though, and he didn't scare me.

"What if I am? It's your fault that she's lost!" I shouted before beating his bare chest with balled fists. "It's all your fault," The words came from my lips harshly as continued my assault.

"Would you kindly stop?" Corvo growled as he grabbed my wrists. Pulling me away from him with ease as he held my hands above my head, and regardless of how much I struggled against his grip, he was much stronger than me.

"No! What are you going to do about it? Make me stop?" I shouted at him as I continued to try to free my hands from his iron strong, yet still somehow gentle grip. "Or are you just going kill me like you were supposed to do in the first place?" The words flew from my lips before I realized how much they'd sting. And it was only a second after they were in the air before I saw true anger light up Corvo's eyes, hiding the momentary flash of pain that came for just a breadth of a second prior. I pressed my lips into a thin determined line and forced myself to continue staring him down. Alright, maybe Corvo did still scare me a little bit. I swallowed somewhat nervously as his once gentle hold on my wrists seemed to tighten unconsciously, until it reached the point of actually genuinely hurting enough for me to bite my lip to hold back a whimper.

"Jessamine..." Corvo began, his voice dark and looming. "That was a **very** low blow," Corvo growled his voice quiet as he emphasized the word very. He was correct though, I had absolutely no right to tell him that; part of me wanted to apologize, the other part was too prideful to do so. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I honestly hadn't been expecting him to act so calmly, I had expected him to erupt into a volcano of rage; I was slightly shocked speechless. Before I could even attempt to form a complete sentence he released his hold on my wrists and my hands fell to my sides limply.

"Where do you think you're going?" I shouted at him as he turned and began walking away from me and back towards the bedroom.

"I suggest you leave me alone for a bit. It would be a shame if I lost my temper and decided to kill you...Since that seems to be how highly you think of me," Corvo bit back before disappearing into the bedroom and closing the door firmly behind himself. I held resolute for a few moments until I noticed the crumpled tan paper laying on the floor next to my feet, apparently I had dropped it sometime during our argument, and it was that small detail that sent my resolve crumbling. I bent down and picked it up before ripping it into pieces as hot tears began to spill down my cheeks. I stomped over to the fire in the living room and tossed the shredded remains in, watching them shrivel into ashes as my tears began to flow more freely now that I had no more anger inside of me. I let myself slowly drift onto the floor where I sat holding my knees to my chest as I tried to bite back my growing sobs. What had I done? Corvo and I had never been in a fight before. How was this going to change everything between us? Dammit, why couldn't I have just held back my anxiety over the note, and Nika, and everything? My hatred of myself grew stronger with each passing moment as I began to realize more and more that the fight we had just had was solely my fault, and that I was the only one to blame. My body racked with shudders as I let the tears fall, there was nothing else I could do.

* * *

TWO HOURS LATER

* * *

I knocked on the door of the bedroom as I nibbled my lip nervously. It had taken me a while to get a hold of myself after our fight, but I had finally gotten myself together. I had even brought a sort of peace offering for Corvo, after I'd picked myself up off the floor, literally, I'd tried to get everything out of my mind by cooking dinner; and although it didn't exactly help me clear my mind, it had kept me from annoying Corvo when he very clearly needed his space. My nervousness grew when no response came from the other side, and I decided to take the liberty of opening the door without his consent; after all, this was technically my cabin. The door creaked open softly as I peeked my head into the room to see Corvo sitting on the corner of the bed fully dressed in his uniform, peeking through his fingers as he held his face in his hands. As soon as he made eye contact with me he sat up straighter, resting his hands in his lap. I took a deep breath before walking in, closing the door behind me softly.

"I made some dinner," I started lamely as I offered him a bowl. However, he continued to just stare up at me like he had ever since I opened the door, remaining silent and stoic as always. I considered asking if it was alright to sit next to him, then decided against it in fear that it would be an answer I didn't want to hear; I instead just took the liberty on my own, leaving about a foot of distance between us even though I longed to be closer. I sat there in uncomfortable silence, staring down at the bowl in my hands. Finally, I recognized that he wasn't going to say anything until I did, and I dared to glance up from the bowl. He was still watching me but he was less guarded now, and I could easily tell that though he was still mad he was more hurt than anything. It was the slightly wounded look on the man that I loved that removed me of my pride enough to finally apologize.

"I'm sorry Corvo. I didn't mean what I said," I apologized as I stared into his eyes. He remained silent as he stared back, and although he didn't say anything I could tell he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth, or just telling him what he wanted to hear. "I understand, if you aren't ready to forgive me yet," I added as I leaned down to place the denied bowl of soup on the ground. My hand slipped further out of the heavy quilt I was wearing than I expected it to, revealing the soft splotches of mottled blue that indicated the beginning of a bruise on my wrist. As I pulled away from the bowl that was now on the floor Corvo's hand reached out, taking my hand in his and pulling my arm over to him. He inspected the soft, but slowly blooming patches of color before gesturing for me to hand him my other hand; I did as he wanted, and his scowl deepened as he noticed the color also beginning to bloom on the fleshy parts of my other wrist as well. He paused a moment before clasping my wrists together like they were when he was holding me back from hitting him, then he wrapped his hand around them like he had before. He checked where his fingers and thumbs fell, perfectly into the small pools of color on my outer wrist. He removed his hand before pulling my wrists away from each other, only to reveal the blossoming colors on the inside of my wrists where they had pressed against each other when he had squeezed.

I watched Corvo's scowl deepen into a harsh frown, complete with furrowed brow and all. He placed my hands back in my lap before standing from the bed and making his way towards the bedroom door. I stood up and followed after him as he made his way out of the bedroom, and towards the front door, ignoring me when I called his name in an attempt to get him to stop.

"Corvo. Please stop," I requested once again as he unlocked and opened the door, letting a cold draft into the warm cabin. "Why won't you just talk to me?" I questioned, my voice rising an octave as I grew slightly desperate. He continued to ignore me though, venturing out into the cold weather and taking a few steps onto the porch before I stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Where are you going?" I questioned softly, in hopes that he would answer to the change in my voice.

"Not quite sure yet. Somewhere with plenty of whiskey though, that's for damn sure," Corvo replied as he turned slightly, a forced and fake half smile on his face. I swallowed heavily as he started walking forward, I didn't know how to ask him not to leave; I didn't know how to tell him that he couldn't just leave when I needed him, just like my father did when my mom died. I needed his strength and stability right now, he couldn't just leave, but he was going to anyway.

"I'm sorry," I stated one last time, my voice cracking. I didn't expect him to hear me, but he stopped in his tracks at my words and turned around. I bit my lower lip hard as a few tears threatened to break free of my watery rims.

"You already apologized," Corvo stated plainly, his voice revealing no emotion as he stood there staring at me.

"It wasn't good enough though...That's why you're leaving, isn't it?" I questioned, my voice quivering more than enough for him to notice. "That's why my dad left too, I wasn't good enough," I added as a singular tear broke free and fell down my cheek. Corvo tilted his head slightly at the last bit as the furrow between his brows grew deeper as they drew together.

"You have nothing left to apologize for. You already apologized, and it was more than good enough," Corvo began as he walked back over to me, trudging out of the deep snow and to my side. It didn't take him long to notice the tear that I had accidentally let slip down my cheek, he wiped it away with a gentle finger. Corvo let out a deep sigh before speaking up once more. "I keep hurting you, don't I? I'm the one who should be apologizing." He pushed the quilt back off my wrists, running his fingers lightly over the forming bruises. "I was leaving because I can't hurt you when I'm not around you, not because you're not good enough...If anything you're too good for me," He finished as he continued to stare down at the light blue-ish marks on my wrists. I swallowed heavily, I wanted to tell him he wasn't right, I wasn't too good. But I knew that if I went off on that tangent right now I might risk running him off, instead I made a quick mental note to bring it up later and focused on the present instead.

"You'll hurt me more by just leaving than you possibly could by being around me," I stated somewhat shakily as his hands, cold from the exposure, began to abandon my wrists.

"You don't know that," Corvo replied sadly as he looked away from my hands and back in my eyes. I noticed that none of his anger was remaining from before if anything he looked worried or concerned.

"That's one of the few things that I know with complete certainty," I said softly, knowing that I had to reassure him, I could almost see his self-doubt swirling just under his calm surface. He was silent for a few burdening long moments after that, and part of me began to worry that I hadn't said the right thing.

"What are the others?" His voice broke the silence just when I began to wonder if he was going to bother replying at all.

"That I love you," I began as I reached out and traced the hems of his coat lapels with my fingertips. I slipped my hands in between his coat and his shirt, relishing in the warmth I found there. "And that you're the biggest asshole to ever step foot in Gristol," I joked as I looked up at him with a small smile. I was relieved when he gave a single soft chuckle, part of me had been worried that he would think I was being serious."But at least you're my asshole," I muttered softly as I rested my forehead against his chest, I felt his rest his chin on the top of my head after a few long moments and it gave me the courage to ask my next question.

"Come back inside?" I asked softly, for fear that the request would break the first small moment of reprieve that I'd found ever since I'd left Corvo's arms to cook dinner. Corvo said nothing for a long moment as he stared into my eyes, and I couldn't help but grow nervous. But then he nodded, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he turned me around to face the door, leading me inside with him. He released his grip on me as he closed and locked the door behind us, I turned around to watch him when it dawned on me that we were standing exactly where we had when I'd started our dumb and senseless fight; only this time we had taken each others spots. Corvo turned from the door to face me once again, and I reached out a tentative and slightly shaking hand to rest it on his cheek softly; I couldn't tell if the shaking was from the cold, or my nervousness that Corvo would try to leave again.

I took a deep breath, calming myself a bit before I leaned onto my tip-toes and pressed a small kiss to Corvo's mouth. He didn't move at all, he simply stood there until I stepped away, trying to hide the concern that was boiling inside of me. I wanted to make things right between us, I wished that I could go back in time and not start our senseless fight to begin with. But I had, and there was nothing I could do now but live with the consequences.

"Jessamine," Corvo's voice finally broke the heavy silence as his eyes bored into mine. "Are you scared of me?" The question wasn't accusatory or grudging, it was just tired, and his tone of voice seemed slightly hopeless.

"What? No! Of course not! Why would you —" I began to question, but before I could finish my sentence Corvo had already cut me off.

"What is it then? Do you not trust me as much as you lead on?" His question caught me by surprise. Of course I trusted him, did he really think that I would travel for two days to spend a week in a slightly remote location with him if I didn't trust him? A small amount of annoyance began to build inside of me as I shook my head, taking a deep breath before answering.

"No! Corvo, why are you asking me these questions?" I couldn't hide the slight worry that was tinging my voice. I was worried that Corvo was going to go running off again, leaving me alone with nothing but my anger at myself for yelling at him in the first place.

"Because I have a hard time believing that the fight earlier was only fueled by Nika's disappearance," He replied, staring me down with a blank expression.

"Well, it wasn't fueled by some mistrust in you either!" I explained, exasperated. He was driving me mad, I thought we had just apologized to each other, why were we talking about this?

"Really? Because that's certainly what it seemed like. Do tell, what was it fueled by then?" Corvo questioned, his voice not quite as emotionless as it was earlier, but also not angry like part of me expected. I nibbled on my lower lip as I quickly worried over whether or not to tell Corvo about the note that I had found. I really didn't want to ruin our stay here at the cabin, but I also didn't want to lie to Corvo, I'd already hurt him enough for one day.

"When I came out here the front door was wide open, and Nika was missing, and there was a somewhat threatening note on the tea table that someone left, and it put me on my nerves end and I'm sorry that I took it out on you," I explained quickly, the words rushing from my mouth so fast I was a tad bit surprised that Corvo caught everything I said. I watched as he processed everything I had just admitted to him, his once unreadable expression quickly turned into a mixed look of annoyance and worry.

"And you decided to wait until now to tell me, why?" He questioned with authority as he took a small step towards me, his voice stern but thankfully not angry.

"Because I didn't know whether or not I was going to tell you!" I explained as he stared down at me with a critical gaze. As soon as the words left my lips I watched him become less troubled and more annoyed, he had a right to be annoyed, but I still didn't like the look on him.

"You were going to keep that a secret from me? By the void Jessie! Why would you do something like that?" Corvo growled softly as he ran a hand through his disgruntled hair, the annoyance in his voice becoming more and more apparent with each word.

"I didn't want you to get all worried and drag us back to Dunwall before I was ready to leave! Just like you're already planning in your head right now!" I explained, my voice rising on its own accord.

"You're right, I am already planning on leaving. But I'm not doing so to deny you something you want! I'm doing so to keep you safe!" Corvo explained, his voice showing his growing agitation despite his body giving no hints away. He took another small step towards me, closing the space between us as he stared down at me with disappointment. "Everything I do, I do to keep you safe," Corvo explained, his voice too dark and neutral for me to be able to guess what was going on under his tough as steel exterior. He stared down at me for a long and uncomfortable moment before stepping around me and walking off towards the bedroom. I took a deep breath and steeled myself in for what I was sure would be a very difficult talk as I turned to watch Corvo walk off.

"I'm not leaving until I get Nika back," My voice broke the silence with ease and Corvo stopped walking, turning back around to stare me down. I ground my teeth together as I prepared for what I was sure would be a protest from Corvo, I didn't care though. I wasn't going to leave without Nika, and there was nothing he could do about it, I was not going to abandon her out here.

"You're leaving when I say you're leaving," Corvo's voice was demanding and forceful, and even with his nearly constantly hidden emotions, I could tell that he was beginning to lose his calm tolerance once again.

"No, Corvo. I'm not," I replied forcefully. I wasn't about to lose this, I wasn't about to lose Nika. "I'm tired of taking your orders! I'm the Empress! I'm the one in charge and it's time you started to respect my authority for once!" I stated strongly as I prepared myself to stand up to Corvo's argument.

"Well it's your authority that appointed me to a position where I'm allowed to do whatever I see necessary to keep you safe," Corvo replied as he stalked back over to stand in front of me, once again hoping to intimidate me with his superior height.

"I'm not leaving until I get Nika back. I swear to the Outsider Corvo, if you drag me away from here before I get her back I will never forgive you," I growled as I balled my hands into fists. I was not about to lose this fight, not when my dog was on the line, I was not going to abandon her in this damn place.

"Well then, I hope you can forgive yourself when I wind up dead keeping you safe from an unknown threat," Corvo replied evenly as he continued to stare me down. I felt even more anger grow inside of me, he was just saying what he knew would get on my nerves at this point. I knew damn well that whatever was out there wouldn't be able to kill him. A three on one fight hadn't been able to scratch him, and a mixture of hypothermia, infection, and a wolf pack hadn't been able to take him out; I was pretty certain he could handle whoever had threatened us, after all, it was probably just some sick joke. But regardless of all of that information him standing there, basically saying that I was placing the life of my dog above his life angered me beyond words.

"You are the most infuriating man ever!" I shouted as I glared up at him, it took everything I had to not lash out at him any more than that. I wasn't about to say something as hurtful as I had a few hours ago, regardless of how mad I was at him.

"Oh yes, because you never get on anyone's nerves princess," Corvo growled as he took another step forward, towering over me, only a few centimeters separating us. I bit back my ever-growing fury. We had just got done fighting and here we were, already back at it again. Corvo was infuriating and by the Abbey did I want to take my anger out on him in the most physical way possible. I wanted to hit him again even though I knew I wouldn't hurt him. Even as I glared up at him completely consumed with anger I couldn't help but notice how his own anger made his eyes light up brighter than normal, and how his clenched teeth only helped define his jawline that much more. Before I even knew what I was doing I was fisting his long hair in my hands, and dragging his face down to my level to press a rough and angry kiss to his lips. The kiss only did the opposite of what I had hoped, I wanted it to help calm us both down, but the inferno inside of me had only grown even more raging from this fuel. Corvo placed his hands on my forearms and dragged my hands from his hair before straightening himself as he held my arms pinned to my side.

"Are you trying to have hate sex with me right now?" Corvo questioned, his voice dark and bordering on feral.

"Well, what if I am Corvo?" I shouted in response to his question as I grabbed fistfuls of his leather jacket in my hands before pulling him back into me for another rough and outraged kiss. If it wasn't for the anger inside of me the kiss could have passed for passionate, it wasn't that different from any other forceful kiss we'd shared before, other than the feelings of animosity boiling inside of both of us. He let this kiss linger longer before pulling away from me, staring down at me with wild and rage filled eyes.

"Then you've probably bitten off more than you can chew sweetheart," Corvo's reply wasn't at all civil this time, it was dark, harsh, and scolding. But before I had time to let his words hurt my feelings I was being shoved into the wall behind me with enough force to slightly wind me. Just as I drew in a new breath to replace my sudden loss of air Corvo's form was pressing against me firmly, keeping me securely pinned to the wall with enough force to make it hard to breathe. I growled slightly as his teeth found my neck; there were no lips involved, just rough whimper-inducing biting all the way down my pulse line as his hands tugged on my hair, keeping my head pinned back against the wall with the rest of my body. It was only a moment later before his fingers found the knot I'd tied in the quilt I was wearing to make sure it stayed up until I actually managed to put on some real clothes. No longer held in place by anything, the quilt drifted to the floor with ease as Corvo freed his other hand from my hair and began to roughly map out my body under his fingertips.

I continued to hold back small whimpers when his hands and teeth slowly grew rougher on my skin, under normal circumstances I would have let them slip; but right now they were what he wanted, and I wasn't about to let him have that victory. My hands finally found the buttons of his jacket and I had only gotten one undone when his teeth found my ear and tugged harder than he ever had before.

"Don't," He growled harshly as my hands attempted to undo the second button on his jacket. I paused for a moment, slightly unsure before boldly continuing.

"Why don't you fucking stop me if you're so tough?" I returned, my voice just as dark and threatening as Corvo's was. I regretted the words the second that Corvo pressed me tighter against the wall, one of his legs pressing mine apart as his teeth found my lower lip and I let out the first whimper I hadn't been able to hold back. He pulled away slightly, almost as though despite the boiling anger I was sure he felt as well he didn't want to actually hurt me. Well, how chivalrous of him, but I still wanted to hurt him, maybe I wasn't as benevolent as I previously thought. I took my window of opportunity to quickly finish undoing the buttons of his jacket before digging my fingernails into his side, he flinched away slightly for a moment, and I seized my opportunity to forcibly push his jacket from his arms where it pooled on the floor along with the quilt.

I watched as any inhibitions Corvo may have had towards my fragileness quickly fled after my small triumph, he pressed me back into the wall once again, keeping me firmly pinned in place. One of his hands following the curve of my hip while the other wrapped loosely around my neck, I swallowed somewhat nervously just before his voice broke the silence. "Don't test me. Just because I'm a changed man, doesn't mean that there's not still some small part of me that's a murderer," His words sent a small shiver down my spine, and not the kind that he normally caused me to feel. Did he just threaten me? A bit of my courage fled as I fully processed the meaning of his words; he did threaten me, but he surely couldn't be serious. As I was still trying to decipher the real meaning of his previous statement Corvo's hand slowly drifted from my neck and down my chest, until his fingers skimmed across the top of my breasts, pulling a slight gasp from me.

A smirk crossed his face from my reaction, as his hands drifted further down, trailing across the tops of my thighs. It was sudden and completely unexpected when he dipped two of his fingers into my sex; I began to let out a moan before I caught myself and bit it back, the result was a strangled grunt that left my lips while Corvo's smirk only widened. He seemed to realize that my grunt was originally going to be a moan, because the next moment his fingers were sliding in and out of me with surprising speed and reckless force. I struggled to hold back more moans that were conjuring themselves up with a will of their own as Corvo's teeth began to explore the thin skin covering my clavicles, and his fingers continued to move inside me. Despite my anger, and recently my trepidation towards Corvo I couldn't help but relish in the small surges of pleasure he was providing me with; if it wasn't for his teeth digging into the soft flesh of my shoulder I probably would be on the precipice of pleasure, but the slight pain was keeping me grounded, stopping me from enjoying the administrations of his fingers as much as I could. When his teeth bit a little too deeply I accidentally let out a small noise that was a mix between a whimper and moan, causing Corvo to pull away from my shoulder and pull his fingers out of my sex.

"Still think you can handle hate sex with me?" Corvo growled in my ear, his body flush with mine, keeping me pressed into the wall. I felt my rage grow once more, he was nothing more than a bully at the moment. Sure, he made threats but we both knew that he was bluffing. The simple fact that he thought he could try to use scare tactics on me made my rage surge to life anew.

"You're such a fucking asshole," I ground out between clenched teeth as I tried to push him far enough away from me to rip his shirt off. I could make him moan and whimper too, he wasn't some all-powerful, untouchable deity; and if it was the last thing I did, I was going to kick him off his high horse.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Corvo's reply was just as animalistic as all the actions he was taking against me were. And before I could even open my mouth to speak up once again I was being dragged over to the back of the couch by a firm hand on my upper arm. He bent me over the back of the couch, his hands kneading roughly into the muscles on my back and hips. His hands pulled away from me for a moment, and I attempted to stand up so that I could turn around and take control of the moment. Before I could even completely right myself though he was pressing me back over the lip of the couch, forcing me to bend over; I silently cursed my inferior strength for a moment before Corvo's hand fell on my ass with a loud smack, and I let slip something between a moan and a yelp as my body reacted to the blow before my mind did. It took a bit longer for me to realize that he'd spanked me, and somehow, even more anger found room to build inside of me; I wasn't a child that needed punishing, that was uncalled for. I let out a quiet hiss as I tried once again to right myself, but his hands kept me where they wanted me.

"You're such a dick," I growled at him; he ignored my insult though and it was only a moment later when I felt the tip of his manhood against my sex, and a short second after that before he had buried himself deep inside of me. This time I let a moan escape unabashedly, he may be a dick but by the Abbey was he great at sex. I held my tongue when he started pounding deep inside me, I still wasn't ready to let him know that part of me was actually enjoying myself. I'd let him know that I was enjoying myself after I was the one making him come undone. Even with the anger boiling inside of me I wasn't immune to pleasure, or pain for that matter and Corvo was currently dealing out a bit of both.

I wasn't expecting it when he suddenly pulled out of me, dragging me from the couch to face him before wrapping his hands around my legs and picking me up until I was sitting on the back of the couch. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his shoulders for a moment before he pushed them away, re-aligning his manhood to my channel before thrusting back into me again. One of his hands braced my back, the tips of his fingers digging deep into my skin while his other hand toyed roughly with one of my nipples. I unceremoniously ripped his shirt open, buttons spilling onto the floor like drops of rain as I pushed his shirt off his shoulders; it stayed around his arms, hanging from his body while he pulled me tighter into him.

Although he didn't verbally state his disapproval with me destroying his shirt his actions spoke more than loud enough. Before it had only been his fingers digging into my skin, but he changed the angle so now it was also his fingernails, I bit my lip hard as I held back a pitiful mewl. Two could play at this game though, and I quickly braced my hands on his back before digging my fingers in; drawing a hushed hiss from his parted lips as he continued to thrust into me without missing a beat. I lost track of time as I focused on dragging my nails across his back, while also not letting of my own discomfort slip from my own lips. It was only a matter of time before each moment became less pleasurable and more painful.

"Corvo," I whimpered softly. As my anger began fading away so did the pain inhibitors that had been keeping our hate sex tolerable, but now that my emotions were slowly dying down each movement had become increasingly painful. Either he didn't hear me, or he was ignoring me, but he didn't respond to me in any way. His short fingernails dug into my lower back once again, sending another shudder of pain through me.

"Corvo. Please, stop. You're hurting me," I whimpered as I buried my face into his shoulder, biting my lip to hold back another small cry of pain. He heard me this time, immediately pulling his hands from my body and stopping where he stood. His head fell to my shoulder as he attempted to catch his breath, his chest heaving raggedly as I clutched to him as though my life depended on it. It was a long time before the silence between us was broken.

"I'm sorry," Corvo stated as his head remained buried in the crook of my neck. He pulled away after a long moment of silence and I couldn't help but notice the look of dread in his eyes. He tried to pull away from me, to pull out of me; I just barely managed to wrap my legs behind his back in time to stop him, keeping him from moving away. He looked down at my legs in confusion before glancing back up at my eyes.

"Jessamine, what are you —" I cut him off with a small and timid kiss, I wanted it to be bolder, but I was still slightly shaken up from Corvo's hate sex.

"Shh," I whispered against his lips before pressing another small kiss against the corner of his mouth this time. I couldn't let Corvo go right now, we needed to stop this fighting, and right now this seemed like the easiest and most effective way. So I bit back my inhibitions and worries that Corvo would go back to being rough and tried to shower him with gentle affection instead. "Please stop talking," I pleaded softly as my shaking fingers trailed down his neck and to his collarbones as I pressed several small kisses to his jawline. He let out a tired sigh before resting his forehead against mine, his hands still refusing to touch me. "Just make love to me," I requested softly as my trembling fingers continued to trace their way down his bare chest. His forehead remained pressed against mine, his ragged breaths fanning out across my face. Finally, he pulled away from my face once again, he stared me down with slight concern, his mouth pressed into a thin line as his hand slowly came up to cradle my jaw.

He opened his mouth to say something before deciding against it. He leaned forward slowly, almost as though he was scared I would tell him to stop or get away, but when I didn't he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips that I returned with ease. His other hand timidly skimmed across my shoulder blade, his touch now featherlight instead of crushing. Before everything had been rushed, rough, and vengeful; now it was entirely different, gentle, slow, and caring. I let out a soft sigh as his lips pulled away from mine, this is what I needed, and I felt like it was what he needed too. His hands continued to slowly brush across my body, still featherlight as he began to move inside me once again, and I let a moan fall from my lips unabashedly as he trailed soft kisses down my throat.

I was being quite vocal now that Corvo was being gentle, he was still silent though. He was always quieter than me during sex, but I could tell it was different this time, almost like he was scared of what would happen if he broke the silence with his own voice. He continued to pepper my skin with kisses while his hips, snapping into mine with less force than before made me whimper his name, I tangled my hands in his hair enjoying the feel of his body pressing against mine.

It took me longer than normal to reach my peak this time, most likely because the hate sex we'd started less than half an hour ago had destroyed my libido for a few moments. But regardless of what had happened earlier Corvo still managed to bring me to those heights, and I could tell that he was also close now, his panting giving away more that he probably wanted. I let myself fall over the edge of bliss, knowing Corvo would follow after me shortly. And for a little while everything felt perfect, almost as though Corvo and I hadn't just fought and gone at each other like rabid animals, almost as though Nika wasn't missing and there had never been any strange note to begin with. I had to emerge from the fog of bliss sooner or later though, and even though reality came crashing down around me everything felt alright with Corvo's arms wrapped around me. As long as I had him everything would be ok.

Eventually, Corvo's voice broke the silence that had been filled with nothing more than our ragged breaths.

"I'm sorry Jessamine."

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A/N: Alas! The cabin isn't just a smutty smut fest! (Well...it mostly is.) We're going to start getting some more action coming up in the next chapters. All shall be revealed in time! Also, this is the longest chapter this far at almost 12.5K words, which is crazy for me. Sorry for the super late update, life got in the way of writing these last few weeks (this shiz-niz has been crazy :P.) Anyways, I'd like to give a big thank you to ShadowsandLight20 for your review, I absolutely loved it! I hadn't even thought about the two of them doing some discreet teasing but you're right! It is so them! I'll probably throw that in when they make it back to Dunwall (that is if you're ok with me using your idea lol), everything else you pointed out I've actually already thought about (and it will be coming up soon) ;)


	30. Chapter 30

**WARNING: Mature themes.**

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Chapter 30: Second Chances

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I stared up at the dark ceiling as the silence of night surrounded me with its nearly crushing weight. The blankets rustled slightly as Jessamine rolled over, her hands searching for me for a moment before finding me. She curled into my side, resting her head on my chest as she mumbled something incoherently. I looked away from the plain ceiling and over at the woman sleeping peacefully on my chest. Even in the dim, pale moonlight, I could still make out a few dark blotches on her otherwise flawless pale skin; the only ones visible to me at the moment were the ones on her neck and her upper back, and I couldn't help but scowl. I was the reason those bruises were there. I was the one who had hurt her. I was supposed to keep her safe, but I couldn't even protect her from myself. I had fucked up more than humanly possible a few hours ago.

I was mad, I had literally been seething. Finding out that Jessamine was purposely hiding information that her safety was in jeopardy, then having her refuse to leave until we got Nika back...I could damn well get her a new dog, I couldn't replace Jessamine if something happened to her though. Why didn't she realize that her loss would affect more than just me, it would affect the entire country. She probably hadn't realized how mad I truly was, over the years I had become a master at hiding my true emotions; and then she kissed me, with all the fury inside of her, and it drove me crazy. It had never been my intention to hurt her, I had tried to stop after the first pitiful whimper she'd let out, but then she had to push it further. I was ready to put a stop to it all before she started to force my clothes off, something about her continued defiance set me off once again, and I decided to stop fighting myself. I remember thinking to myself; she knows what she's getting herself into, she would know better than to do this if it wasn't what she wanted. And so I just let my finely honed self-control go, but I shouldn't have, I should have been the bigger person.

This was all my fault, and I absolutely loathed myself for all of it. All I'd ever done my whole life was hurt others, and now I'd hurt her too...the only person who had ever seen a sliver of redeemable potential in me. 'Just because I'm a changed man, doesn't mean that there's not still some small part of me that's a murderer' the words echoed in my mind in the silence; it had been a bluff, I could never do that to her, but she didn't know that. I had seen the slight sheen of fear cover her eyes for a few moments after that, and I didn't even check to see if she was alright, I was just happy that she gave up her defiance for a few moments. I'd known in some sense that I'd hurt her after she whimpered a second time, and yet I still didn't stop, I had been driven by lust and anger and I didn't even consider checking to make sure she was ok. I had told myself that if she wanted me to stop she would have said so, told me so; Jessamine wasn't the type of person to go voiceless, she made herself heard when she wanted to be. If she didn't want this she would have spoken up. In retrospect, I might have scared her into silence...Why hadn't I considered that back then?

'You're such a fucking asshole' was her answer when I had asked if she still thought she could handle having angry, rough sex with me. She didn't say yes, this was the first time she hadn't said yes to letting me touch her like that. Did I rape her? Was I no better than Theodanis? I rubbed a circle in between my eyebrows as I considered it. I hated the fact that I might be no better than he was, I might be just as much of a monster as him. When he had attempted to rape her she had made it very clear she didn't want him, if she felt the same way about what I did to her she certainly didn't show it like she did with him. A few hateful insults had been all she bothered to throw my way while I had been thoroughly fucking her. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I pushed back the feelings of anger I was harboring towards myself. Just because we were...well, what are we actually? I wasn't really a suitor, suitors had the goal of marriage in mind, and I hadn't even begun to consider that path yet. I suppose lovers was the closest thing, secret lovers. Just because we were secret lovers didn't mean that gave me the right to not have to bother to ask for consent before having my way with her, if I was her husband I wouldn't need her consent...at least according to society. But even then, it still felt wrong to think about taking Jessamine like that; even if society said I didn't need her approval, her approval mattered to me.

If I had raped her though, would she be cuddled into my side right now sleeping as peacefully as she was? She wasn't acting like a victim, she hadn't acted like the victim once after it was all over. But she hid those emotions from others, I knew that from experience. I let my mind drift from the worry that I'd violated her as I continued to relive the situation we'd been in. I'd stopped fucking her long enough to sit her on the couch, I could reach her body easier from that position, I had only moved her because I thought she'd finally given in. I thought I'd finally won. I had been wrong though, I knew by now that she was a fighter, she wasn't the type of person to give in without conflict; normally I would know better than to fight back, but my anger clouded mind hadn't bothered to think about any of that. I was about to start forcing myself to start being more gentle, to push away the anger-fueled adrenaline coursing through my veins, but she was still being defiant; I hadn't expected her to literally rip my shirt off, but it was that small act of defiance that pushed away the logic that had slowly been coming back to me. I quickly forgot that Jessamine was smaller, more delicate; the only thought going through my mind was that I would get her submission, one way or another. And it certainly didn't help when she started raking her nails down my back. If anything, that just drove me more wild with the need for her to understand that I was the one in charge. I had been lost in that haze for what felt like only a few seconds, but I knew it was much longer than that in reality.

I had noticed when she stopped trying to resist me, becoming more compliant as I continued to fight against her. I had heard when she spoke my name the first time, but I had ignored it, if she had something to say she could say it, that's what I had thought at the moment. It was maybe a dozen seconds later when she spoke up again, this time putting a voice to her discomfort, blatantly telling me that I was hurting her. I had stopped as soon as I realized what she was saying. I took a few moments to compose myself after that, the self-loathing already building inside of me. It was at that moment that I realized that Jessamine would never submit to me the way I had been trying to get her to, I would literally have to break her spirit in order for that to ever happen, and the thought of that happening hurt me deeply. After all, the thing that drew me to her when other women could only hold my interest for a few nights was her high-strung will, she was a fighter, and that was the thing that made me fall in love with her to begin with. I had offered a lame excuse for an apology then, before trying to leave, she would be better off if I wasn't around. I should have left the first time I tried, I was right, I did break everything I touched. What was wrong with me?

She stopped me when I tried to pull away from her though, and when I began to ask what she was doing she cut me off with a kiss; a horrible, almost frightened kiss. That kiss made me hate myself that much more. She was scared of me, even though her words said she wasn't her kisses told the truth; and when she told me to make love to her my self-loathing grew that much more. My immediate thought was that she was only requesting that because she thought it was what I wanted. That perhaps my mistake had actually resulted in me breaking her spirit. I was going to speak up, to tell her no, tell her that this wasn't right; but I decided against it, and followed her orders hesitantly instead. I gave her every opportunity to change her mind as I leaned in to kiss her, part of me hoping that she would push me away, just to prove that she was still the Jessamine I had fallen in love with, the fighter. She accepted my lips with more warmth than I should have been warranted, seeming to forgive me much too easily. From that moment on I barely touched her, the woman who I had been treating as roughly as an enemy a few moments ago, now receiving more tenderness than most porcelain dolls were given. She grew louder with ease, making her approval of the situation made known while I remained as silent as possible.

My hatred for myself grew with each moan that fell from her lips, she forgave me much too easily, I needed her to hate me as much as I hated myself; if she hated me she would push me away, and then she would be safer. I would feel better knowing that there would be no chance I would ever be able to hurt her again. I gave her what she wanted though, giving her the release she desired, it was the least I could do for her after everything I had done. I didn't find my own release, I just acted like I did so that I wouldn't have to explain how much I hated myself to her. I held her in my arms as I caught my breath, the selfish part of me not ready to let her go even though I knew it was what would be best for her. She didn't say anything to break the silence after an awkward amount of time, so I was the one who broke the silence; saying the only thing that came to mind, even though it could never properly express the regret I felt.

I sighed heavily, wiggling out from under Jessamine before standing up. I hadn't slept at all yet, and I doubted laying there thinking about everything I did wrong would help. I made my way out of the bedroom silently, the way only an ex-assassin could. I wasn't sure where I was going, or what I was going to do, but I had to get out of that room; seeing the finger-shaped bruises on her skin only made the weight of my sins that much heavier, at least out here my misdeeds weren't staring me in the face, mocking me the way only they could. I made my way through the dimly lit cabin with care, making my way over to the kitchen cabinets. I was fairly certain I'd seen the lesser half of an alcohol bottle in one of them this morning, and right now I needed an emotional painkiller. I rummaged through the dark cabinets with care, finding the bottle in the third cabinet I searched. It was mostly empty, only four measures in there at best, unfortunately, it was King Street; I'd had it a few times and it was truly the worst of all the alcohols, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I set it on the counter silently before retrieving a drinking glass, it wasn't the proper kind of glass for this particular drink but I was past caring.

I poured myself a generous measure, filling the glass slightly more than halfway; unfortunately, there wasn't enough left to get me anywhere near drunk, then again, maybe that was for the better. After all, the last time I got drunk I scared Jessamine, and that was the last thing I needed right now. I brought the glass to my lips and took a sip as I stared out the thick window panes, the snow gently falling outside was peaceful, calming. How in the world was I ever going to make everything up to Jessamine? I wouldn't blame her if she pushed me away from now on, I would deserve it. I had failed her. She trusted me to keep her safe and I hurt her, I didn't let someone else hurt her; no, I had personally hurt her with the full knowledge that I probably was, but I just didn't care to check. Was I abusive? Growing up on the Karnacan streets I'd seen many a man beat his wife for the slightest misstep. Was I just like those men? Was there going to be a day when I was going to hurt Jessamine like that? I'd rather spend the rest of my life pushing her away than to have the day come when she would be crumpled at my feet, broken and bleeding because I decided to throw self-control out the window again. I took another, longer drag off the brandy, hoping to wash the image out of my mind.

"Corvo?" Her voice cut through the silence with ease, she sounded cautious. I swallowed back a lump in my throat as I forced myself to turn around, it was my fault she felt the need to be cautious around me. I stared at my glass as I turned, leaning back against the countertop before daring to look up. She was dressed in a baggy cream-colored sweater that covered her to her mid thigh, her hair tumbling down her shoulder like a waterfall, her hands fidgeting with each other nervously. I couldn't help but hold back a scowl as I noted that I was the reason for her nervous fidgeting. "I woke up and you weren't in bed with me," Jessamine continued as she took a few more steps forward before pausing, her feet shifting hesitantly. I kept silent, I had nothing to say; instead, I looked back down at my glass, staring at it intensely. Jessamine noticed my silence and spoke up once again, "What are you doing out here?" her question was soft spoken and if I didn't have good hearing I wouldn't have caught it.

"I couldn't sleep. Decided to come out here for a while," I answered as I looked back up at her. She walked forward slowly before pulling the glass from my hand, staring down at the amber liquid with furrowed brows.

"Alcohol?" The simple word rolled off her tongue with ease, and as she looked up at my face I knew that the word was a question. Why was I drinking? That's what she really wanted to know. I shrugged slightly as I reached out to take the glass back, but she pulled it out of the range of my grasp.

"It helps usually. Easier to fall asleep with a foggy head," I answered her question as I let my hand fall back to my side. It wouldn't be a very good idea to do anything by force right now, she'd give me back the glass sooner or later. I watched her purse her lips and frown slightly as she stepped to my side and pulled the bottle from the counter, I watched her eyes drift over the label as she read it. She looked away from the bottle and back up at me, staring me down for a few long moments before sighing heavily, walking towards the sink. I didn't realize what she was doing until the liquid started to fall into the sink basin, I took a step forward as I opened my mouth to protest but nothing came out. It would probably be for the best if I came off as non-confrontational as possible for a while, I didn't want to make Jessamine uncomfortable in my presence. I watched as the last drops fell from both the glass and the bottle before Jessamine set them down in the basin, she turned to face me with her hands on her hips and that's when I realized that my mouth was still open. "Um, alright...that just happened," I stated lamely before running a hand through my hair and glaring at the floor for a moment.

"That's not the way to deal with your problems Corvo," Jessamine stated firmly as she continued to stare me down.

"Well then, how do you suggest I deal with them, princess?" I questioned, making sure to keep my voice steady and even. There was no way I could handle getting in another fight with her right now.

"You can talk to me about them," She offered softly after a moment of silence. I couldn't help but give a slight huff, of course, she wanted to talk about feelings like a typical woman.

"I don't think that's the best idea in this situation, you probably wouldn't like the things going on in here," I stated as I gestured to myself. Watching as she brought her hands from her hips and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine. Then I'll talk to you," She began as she walked forward until we were in each other's personal space. "I didn't realize it until a few hours ago but I am still scared of you," She paused for a moment as she stared up at me, I couldn't help but scowl at the admission. I mean, I knew she was scared of me but it hurt more hearing the words out of her own mouth. Maybe she'd leave now, she'd be so much better off if she left. "I'm scared of whatever's going on with you right now Corvo. You've been acting weird, and I don't know if it's from the fighting or the stress, but it scares me. It scares me because you're acting like I'm losing you," She finished and I couldn't help my puzzled expression. She was scared of losing me? That's why she was scared? She wasn't scared that I was going to hurt her again, she was scared that I was going to leave her, she was scared that I was going to end the scandal I shouldn't have started to begin with.

"Maybe you are, but you'd be better off without me," I stated lamely as I stared at the ground, unable to look her in the eyes. I didn't want to see the pain in them that I was sure was there.

"And who are you to start telling me what's best for me? I thought that those decisions were my own to make," I looked back up at her to find that she didn't look hurt but that I also couldn't read her expression either. And she was right, it was her life and she had to make her own decisions; but in this matter, my life was also involved, which gave me the right to make decisions too.

"So if I wanted out of this," I began as I gestured in between the both of us before continuing, "And you didn't, you'd force me to stay? Because I thought those decisions were mine to make," I stated, purposely copying her words in order to force her to recognize she wasn't the only person making our relationship possible. I watched pain fill her eyes just before she stared at the ground for a few agonizingly long seconds before looking back up at me.

"If that's what you really want then finish it now. Because it'll hurt more the longer you stay," Jessamine stated coldly. I frowned slightly at her words. I didn't want to leave, I wanted her selfishly, but I couldn't stand the thought that I would hurt her again if I stayed. I swallowed heavily but it did nothing to remove the lump in my throat, she was giving me the most blatant out possible. Part of me really wanted to say that it was over, that I couldn't keep loving her no matter how much I wanted to, that I couldn't be her lover anymore but if she wanted I'd still be her Lord Protector. I still wanted to fall asleep every night knowing she was safe, and I wanted to fall asleep in her arms, but if her safety was at risk with me then I'd give up my wants for her greater needs. I didn't say any of that though. I couldn't. I didn't have the strength inside of me to shape the words with my mouth.

"Did I rape you? Back when we were..." I faltered for a moment as I shook my head and glared at the ground for a few seconds before looking back up. "Did I?" I finished, I knew that she understood my full question even if I didn't finish it. I watched slight concern wash over her face before her brows drew together and she took another step towards me, closing nearly all the distance between us.

"No. You didn't rape me. I was pissed at you but I wasn't unwilling. I would have said something," Jessamine answered. Her voice unwavering as she lifted her hand and fitted it to the side of my jaw. "You think you raped me?" She questioned, her voice soft and careful almost like I was a scared, wounded animal that was ready to run. I didn't answer and settled for a pathetic shrug instead, but the real answer was yes. I could tell that she was concerned by the look on her face, I wasn't entirely sure about what, but it was probably that she thought I was still going to leave.

"Do you think I'm abusive?" The question was a mere whisper by the time I summoned the courage to force it past my lips. If it wasn't for Jessamine's close proximity I was certain that she wouldn't have heard it. She tilted her head slightly as her concerned look grew more prominent, her hand remained on my jaw, her thumb running gently across the peak of my cheekbone.

"Do you think you're abusive?" Her question was a whisper like mine had been. I scowled slightly as I pulled her hand from my face with care, as soon as I had pulled her skin from mine I took a step back until I was pressed in between her and the countertop behind me. I drew in a deep, shaky breath before attempting to speak up.

"I honestly don't know anymore. I didn't use to think so...But now, I think I might be," I stared at the ground as I answered her question, I didn't want to see what was going on inside of her mind. After a moment of silence I forced myself to glance up at her, drawing in another deep breath before continuing. "I've always been violent. More often than not angry. It would make sense, it fits in with all my other disorders," I finished as I continued to stare at her, not seeing any indication of emotion in her face, she was a blank slate. As the length of silence between us grew I couldn't help but let my eyes flick to the ground every so often, it was harder than it should be to return her gaze at the moment.

"Do you want to hurt me?" Her voice finally broke the silence and my eyes flicked back up to her face, she looked confused if anything. I shook my head before summoning the air into my lungs to state my answer.

"No," My response was hardly more than a whisper.

"Then why do you think you're abusive?" Jessamine questioned as she stepped forward once again, this time leaving me no room to step away from her. I shook my head softly at her inquiry, I wasn't ready to explain this all to her yet. But she wanted answers now, and I knew she wasn't going to take 'not right now' as an acceptable response. I sighed as I glanced away from her to stare at the ground to the side of me, but my sigh wound up coming out as more of a growl; a few seconds later her hand was on my chin, pulling me back over to look at her. I could see it in her eyes that she needed the truth right now, I pulled her hand from my face once again before speaking up.

"Earlier, when we were having hate sex, I knew I was hurting you but I didn't care enough to stop. I was entirely in control, but I threw that control away because you kept defying me; I wanted you to give in, to stop constantly fighting me. Nothing I have done yet has managed to make you submit to my will, so why not see if pain is the magical way to make you more compliant. But that's who you are, I realize that now more than I used to. You're a fighter like I am, that's why I fell in love with you, but I don't know if that's safe anymore. I mean look at what happens when we fight each other, you're covered in bruises, I'm covered in welts. I don't want to risk hurting you again," The words came slowly at first, but as I began to explain everything to her the rest gushed out like a dam breaking. I didn't really even put any thought into what I was saying until it was already out there. Her expression was still unreadable, calculated, and it bothered me that she wasn't letting me see what she was feeling. I slowly thought over everything I had just admitted to her, and as I re-said the words in my mind one particular phrase stood out against the others; 'so why not see if pain is the magical way to make you more compliant', and that's when it all clicked into place. I was in denial of what I really was. I glared at the ground before letting out a growl as I turned away from Jessamine, leaning over the countertop; I braced myself with one hand while I ran the other through my hair angrily. It took a moment for me to completely compose myself enough to speak up once again. "I am abusive," I admitted to both her and myself as the reality of it dawned upon me, my voice just loud enough for her to hear. "And on top of that, I'm too weak to let you go even though I know it's what I need to do. Letting you go is the only way I can know for certain that I will never hurt you again, and I can't bear the thought that I might hurt you again," The truth cut deeper than a knife as I let it out. I refused to turn around for a few minutes, I stood there glaring at the dimly lit wood counter as though it was the source of my problems. Jessamine's hand fell onto my shoulder as I continued to glare at the counter top, I ignored the light pressure of it until it fell away from me.

"So you're saying if we stay together that you might hurt me in the future?" Jessamine's voice was much stronger than mine at the moment, and she waited for my response as the silence between us began to grow. I pulled myself away from the counter before turning around slowly, scared of what I was going to see on her face, only to find that she looked annoyed. I couldn't find the strength to say anything, so instead I gave her a single nod as I continued to stare into her icy blue eyes. She took a moment to process my answer before leaning in closer to me, the smell of her shampoo lingering the air around us. "Well let me tell you something, Corvo. If you leave you **will** hurt me. It won't be a maybe, it **will** hurt, and it will take a lot longer to heal than these bruises will," Her voice was steely with determination as she stared me down, her eyes alight with the fire inside of her. Part of me was relieved that I hadn't extinguished the flame inside of her with my accident earlier, the other part was slowly processing the full gravity of what she just told me.

"So you're saying that because bruises heal faster that a broken heart you're not going to leave? That's not a very logical choice," My voice was stronger this time than it had been the last few times I'd spoken up. I needed her to realize that I wasn't safe, that she wasn't safe as long as she stuck around. I needed to know that she was going to be ok, and that's not something I could be certain of as long as she was with me. I didn't want to hurt her ever again, but I couldn't shake the fear that it was going to happen again no matter how hard I tried to stop it.

"Well as long as you refuse to make a move the decision is up to me, isn't it? So unless you're going to leave, and stay away all on your own accord then you really don't have a say in how I make my own decisions. I haven't given up hope in you yet," Jessamine stated firmly as she stared up at me, determination etched into her face. She reached up to touch my face but I flinched away, causing her to clearly become annoyed with my persistence. "Do you really not see how far you've come? When we met you were an assassin! You almost killed me once but decided not to, you beat up your employer for doing the very thing he was paying you for, you gave up a life of bloodshed for a life of following a boring political pawn around all day every day," She ranted loudly, as she took a few steps away from me. I frowned at her words, what she saw as progress I saw as a few moments of human decency on my part. "You may not see the progress you've made, but I do. The fact that you're so worried right now shows that you're still becoming a better person, and until I decide that there's no point in believing you can change for the better I won't leave. I love you, and love doesn't give up the second things get rough," Jessamine finished, her voice still loudly echoing through the cabin in the late night silence. Her words sunk in slowly, Jessamine believed that I was still in some sort of metamorphosis stage where I was still trying to leave my old life behind. I honestly didn't know if she was right, I didn't feel like I was changing, but apparently she did. And she wasn't going to leave yet, even if I felt it was for the better. I didn't realize that I had been glaring at the floor until Jessamine spoke up once again, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I'm giving you another chance. Now the real question is, are you willing to give yourself a second chance?" Her words were soft this time, but despite her tone of voice I could still tell that she was fighting to keep our relationship alive. It was evident in her stance, and in her eyes, and I immediately felt a small surge of relief flood through me. I hadn't broken her at all, she was still just as much of a fighter as she had ever been, still as defiant of my meager amount of authority as she had been earlier today; and it had never felt so good to have her fight against what I wanted, because it proved that she was still the Jessamine I had irrevocably lost my heart to. But that didn't mean that it wouldn't happen the next time we got in a fight, just because she was alright right now didn't mean she would be if I let this continue.

"Why me?" I questioned as I stared her down. I watched the puzzled expression cross her face as silence fell between us, it was her confusion that pushed me to elaborate. "Why do you want me, when I'm nothing but a load of work? There's plenty of men out there Jessie, men who aren't as completely fucked up as I am. Men who would never hurt you, men who actually have a birthright they can be proud of. Men that you could be seen in public with and not have to face the scorn of the rest of the upper class. There are men out there who can give you everything that I can't," I explained what I meant in more detail than was necessary, but I meant every word of it. She needed to understand that I wasn't her only option, and I certainly wasn't her best one either. She frowned slightly at my words before closing the distance she had put between us a few minutes ago.

"I don't want what other men can offer me, I want the things that you can offer me. You know that I don't care what other people think of me, they haven't lived my life, they have no right to judge me. And you're not messed up, you're a work in progress. You grew up into what you had to be to survive the hard life you were given, you didn't let yourself follow your heart because you couldn't afford to back then. But you can afford to now. So are you going to be the man the world molded you into? Or are you going to find out who you really are?" Jessamine's words were firm even though her tone was gentle. She was a fool if she wanted what I could offer her over what nearly any other man could. Everything else she said though, that I was a work in progress, that I had to choose whether or not I was going to be the same old Corvo or some new man who I didn't even know; she had too much faith in me, faith that I could never have in myself. As I was silently mulling over her words she wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me into her as she held me close; after a few short seconds, I didn't bother resisting her touch anymore.

"You deserve much better than me," I whispered softly into her hair as I leaned into her, wrapping my arms around her back as I carefully returned her hug. I relished in every second that I was allowed to hold her in my arms, because I knew that any second could be the last one before she realized I was right and pushed me away. Jessamine pulled away from my arms after a few moments, and I took a deep breath as I thought to myself; this is it, she's finally realized that I'm right, it's over.

"I don't want much better than you. So are you staying? Or are you ending this? Because I can't make it any clearer than I already have that I haven't given up on you and that I don't want to let you go," Jessamine's words caught me by surprise, she wasn't giving into my better judgment. It was up to me now whether or not we kept this up. Seven little words in particular stood out to me, 'I don't want to let you go'; I didn't want to let her go either, I was fairly certain I couldn't force myself to say the words that would finish everything no matter how much I might feel it was for the best. I couldn't let her go either, I wasn't ready, I would probably never be ready to let her go. She began to chew on her lower lip nervously as the seconds ticked by with no response from me, I reached out and took her hand in mine before I dared to speak up.

"Well, if that's the case...I'll do whatever it takes to be the mistake you can't live without," As soon as the words left my lips a small, almost pained smile broke out on her face. She pulled me into her with renewed enthusiasm, burying her head in the crook of my neck as she leaned up into me. There was no way I could leave, even though I knew it would be better for her. She was making a mistake, I was a mistake, but I could also never deny her anything she wanted; I was a slave to her whims and I knew it.

"You're not a mistake," She breathed in my ear as she held me close to her. I could feel the waves of relief coming off of her from my final decision. But there was never any other choice I could have made; I knew that I was wrong for her, but I couldn't find it inside of me to let her go so that she could find someone who was right. As long as she'd have me I'd take her. I was addicted to her, and I knew it, and I was alright with it. I still didn't quite believe her though when she said that I wasn't a mistake. And before I even realized I was talking the words were already out of my mouth.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING

* * *

I woke up much faster than I usually did these days, blinking in a few bright rays of sunlight as they spilled through the small gaps in the curtains. I looked around the room slowly as all of my foggy memories of last night came back to me. I rolled over slightly to find Jessamine still happily asleep, curled deeply into the mounds of blankets, her hair tossed around her wildly. I smiled at the sight as I forced myself to sit up. I wasn't good enough for her, but I could at least try to be what she deserved. I stood up from the bed reluctantly, stretching before I grabbed one of my shirts; I opted for an undershirt today, I didn't need any more ripped up button-ups that I'd have to get fixed. I made my way out of the bedroom with a final glance back at Jessamine, still sleeping peacefully, my absence unbeknownst to her for the time being. I made my way to the bathroom and emptied my bladder before daring a look in the mirror.

I hadn't slept the first half of last night and it showed, the bags under my eyes were only accentuated by the dark scruff that had quickly grown in along my jawline. I sighed, running a hand through my slightly disheveled hair, smoothing it back in place with ease before grabbing the straight razor off the counter at my side. I quickly splashed some water on my face before opening the razor and dragging it carefully down my jaw, rinsing it under the water before doing another patch. I would probably regret not bringing along shaving cream tomorrow, but for the time being this was better than nothing. I lost myself in my thoughts and I went through the common motions of shaving, last night had been a turning point for Jessamine and I. I still wasn't sure if it was for better or worse, but I knew that things were going to be different now. I knew for a fact that I felt a bit differently about things now, almost like I had some high expectations held over my head that I needed to achieve. I knew that Jessamine wasn't expecting much out of me, all she really wanted was a trustworthy, fun-loving partner; but I needed to be more than that for her.

"Dammit," I cursed under my breath as the razor cut into my cheek. I knew better than to get sidetracked while shaving, I hadn't cut myself since I was a teenager. I set the razor down on the side of the sink before rinsing the blood from my face, I resumed shaving before the blood could streak down my face, making it harder to see what I was doing. By the time my blood really began to run again I was working on the other side of my face. I focused all of my attention on each stroke after that, I didn't want to wind up all cut up because I couldn't keep my mind in one place. When I finished I closed the razor, placing it back on the counter before rinsing my face thoroughly. I dried off quickly before leaving the bathroom. I wanted the day to start off on a good note with Jessamine, I'd hurt her too much recently, it was time I made her smile instead of frown. I made my way into the kitchen as I decided I was going to cook her breakfast.

But as soon as I was standing there it quickly became apparent that I really had no clue what I was doing. I had never cooked a damn thing in my life before I went on this trip with Jessie. Yesterday we'd made flapjacks together, but she did most of the work and I hadn't really paid as much attention as I should have to be able to make them now. My lack of practical knowledge didn't dissuade me from my cause though, and nearly twenty minutes later I had a poor excuse for a batter frying up over the stove. I hadn't known how much of what things to place in so I just sort of guessed and hoped for the best, for all I knew I could have left out or added something that wasn't in Jessamine's version. I was just praying that they would turn out edible enough. The first three were all trashed, either too burnt or too runny to qualify for a place on the plate. The fourth one turned out more or less ok-looking, and onto the plate it went. I only bothered to make two more, Jessamine didn't have the biggest appetite, and I wasn't hungry yet.

I desperately hoped that they were edible as I smeared some fruit preserves on top. I made my way back to the bedroom quietly, plate in hand as I sat on the edge of the bed next to Jessamine's still sleeping form. I couldn't help but smile slightly as I brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, she grumbled something incoherent in her sleep as her fingers latched onto my hand. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly at her sleepy antics, I brushed my thumb back and forth across the curve of her jaw a few times before her eyes began to flutter open. "Morning princess," I greeted her softly as she pulled my hand from the curve of her jaw and over to her lips where she pressed a small kiss to my knuckles.

"Good morning faithful subject," She replied sleepily as she rolled onto her back and stretched. I chuckled for a moment at her greeting until my eyes fell on the now purple bruises that littered her neck from my bites yesterday, my smile faded immediately at the sight of the marks on her skin. Before I could fall into a pit of self-loathing Jessamine was breaking the silence once again, tearing my eyes from her neck. "What smells good?" She questioned as she rubbed her eyes and sat up in the bed.

"Oh...Um — I made you breakfast," I stuttered through the beginning of the sentence before I held the plate out to her. She stared at it for a long moment, shock evident on her face as she reached out and took it from me slowly. She placed it down on her lap before looking back up at me, appreciation shining in her eyes before worry filmed them over.

"Corvo!" She reached out and grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me closer to her. "You're bleeding!" She admonished me as she inspected the cut on my cheek meticulously. It took me a moment to remember accidentally cutting myself this morning, it wasn't anything really, it was just an annoyance.

"Oh. That. I think I'll live," I chuckled as I pulled out of her grasp to sit all the way back up. Jessamine moved the plate of flapjacks to her side as she wiggled closer to me.

"What happened?" She questioned as she wetted the pad of her thumb in her mouth before swiping it over my cut, it had probably bled more after I left the bathroom, shaving cuts usually bled more than they should. The pressure of her thumb on the cut hurt, but I never showed that I was in any pain unless it was quite severe.

"I cut myself," I answered as she continued to wipe the dried blood from my face. She furrowed her brows as she wiped her hands clean on the blanket she was wrapped in.

"On purpose?" She asked quietly, and I couldn't help it when confusion washed over me for a moment.

"What? No. Of course not. Can you not tell that I shaved?" I responded immediately, and I watched her deadpan for a moment as she realized that I had. I suppose she hadn't noticed.

"Oh...You did. I just...Didn't realize. I was too busy looking at your cut," Jessamine replied sheepishly as she blushed and stared down at the blanket for a moment.

"Like I said, I don't think it's a fatal wound," I stated with a small smile when she finally looked back up at me. She giggled softly at the statement before leaning in and kissing the cut on my cheek gently. I couldn't wipe the look of shock off my face when she pulled away; when I was a child I'd seen the other kids who actually had parents get their minor scrapes 'kissed better', but I had never in my life received someone's concern over any minor wound I had ever had, and I had my fair share in the life I lived. Slowly my shock wore off and a small half-smile grew in its place. I slowly began to realize that Jessamine cared enough to worry about a simple shaving nick, and as I came to that realization I felt an unfamiliar warmth crawl up my neck and spread across my cheeks before Jessamine giggled into her hands.

"You're blushing," She choked out in between small fits of giggles. I felt the warmth grow hotter at her statement, I quickly looked away from her to stare at my hands folded in my lap. I didn't blush, I wasn't the type of person to get flustered over anything, but I couldn't argue her statement either, she was probably being completely honest. Her giggles turned into chortles as I stared at my hands and tried to force the warmth out from under my skin, after half a minute her laughing died down and a deep silence filled the air. I continued to stare down at my hands until I was sure the last of that unfamiliar warmth had crept away, when I looked back over at Jessamine she was staring at me with a small bemused smile. The silence continued to hang in the air as we stared at each other for a few moments.

"Breakfast is getting cold," I broke the silence. I could tell that she had forgotten all about the food the moment I spoke up, she retrieved the plate from where it sat next to her, cutting into the cakes with her fork before popping them into her mouth. I forced myself not to laugh at the expression that crossed her face as she started to chew, her mouth pressed into a thin grimace and her brows drawn together as she glared at the plate. She slowly looked up at me, forcing a smile on her face as she over-enthusiastically nodded her approval. "Not very good?" I couldn't hide the humor that was tinging my voice. It was just so obvious that she was trying to act like they weren't horrible for me.

"No! They're fine, you did a good job," She stated quickly as she swallowed her mouthful, and tried to hide the grimace that followed. I stared at her incredulously as I waited to see if she was going to tell the truth, but instead she focused on cutting another small chunk out with her fork.

"You know my lie detection skills haven't gotten any worse," I paused as I forced myself to hold back a chuckle as she took another bite, another grimace covering her face before she put on another forced smile. "You don't have to eat them, I can tell by your face that they're hardly toleratable," I offered as she swallowed.

"Really? Are you sure?" She questioned hesitantly as she rested the fork on the plate. That's when I realized that she had been scared of hurting my feelings by blatantly telling me how horrible my creation had gone. The realization made me chuckle for a few seconds.

"Positive," I answered as I watched relief flood her face before she pushed the plate away onto the other side of the bed.

"Thank you," Jessamine sighed as she looked back up at me. "Even if they didn't turn out the best it was still incredibly sweet of you, it's the gesture that counts more than the food," She offered. And I could tell that it was a sort of condolence, however, if it was for the food, or for my pride I couldn't be sure.

"Well that's a relief," I replied sarcastically, sending her into a fit of giggles. At the sound of her melodic laughter, I couldn't help but let out a few chuckles of my own. As we both fell silent Jessamine's eyes found my own, and I was incredibly relieved to see the happiness she felt shining back at me through them. She only held my gaze for a few more short moments before her eyes drifted further down, I knew she was staring at my lips when she caught her lower lip between her teeth. I didn't dare make a move though, I was determined to make her feel like I expected absolutely nothing out of her after yesterday's events, and if that meant not making the first move then that was what I was going to do. After a few agonizingly long moments her eyes found mine again and a slight blush swept it's way across her cheeks as she leaned closer to me, I knew that she was going to kiss me the second her hands tangled in my hair. I didn't try to stop her lips from brushing against mine, it was different when she was the one kissing me, it meant that she actually wanted it. When her lips continued to brush against mine lightly I allowed myself to rest a hand against her neck, she seemed to take it as an ok to loosen up because the next moment she was pulling me down until I had to brace myself on my hands above her. She continued to brush light kisses against my lips, slowly managing to draw a moan out of me as I closed more of the distance between us, kissing her back more fervently.

The second she let out a small groan reality came crashing down on me and I pulled away more abruptly than I should have. Luckily though my actions didn't seem to hurt her. I stared down at her as she caught her breath before looking back up at me, clearly wondering why I'd stopped. I only let the silence linger between up for a few moments before I felt the need to break it. "Are you still hungry?" I questioned, it was the first thing that came to my mind, and a good excuse to stop kissing her like that. If we kept going it was only going to lead to one thing, and I was still too scared that I would wind up hurting her to let that happen right now.

"Not for food," Jessamine's reply was breathless and I immediately knew what she meant. She wanted me to make love to her right now, but I couldn't. I wasn't ready to risk hurting her again. She needed to get better before I could even consider doing what she wanted.

"Well, I'm pretty hungry," I stated as I sat back up, pulling myself away from her with ease. I stood up before offering her my hand. "Care to help? Or do I deserve to be subjected to the same food you had to eat?" I joked with her as she stared up at me looking confused and slightly hurt. But she didn't understand that I was doing the right thing, denying her request for sex surely hurt much less than it would if I hurt her again. She glanced at the floor for a moment before nodding and taking my hand, letting me pull her to her feet with ease. She gave me a small half smile as she planted a soft kiss on my cheek before walking towards the bedroom door, the second she opened it the sound of something scratching on the front door reached my ears. She turned to look at me, confusion clouding her features before she started to walk out of the room.

I stopped her immediately, grabbing her shoulder to keep her from moving forward. With the threat she had received yesterday I wasn't about to let her go checking on strange noises at the front door. I shook my head quickly as she looked at me clearly puzzled, I turned from the door and quickly made my way to the dresser, pulling my flintlock out of a drawer before making my way out of the bedroom. I could feel Jessamine following a safe distance behind me as I made my way towards the door, cocking my pistol before slowly undoing the lock and twisting the knob as the scratching continued. I drew in a deep breath before flinging the door open. The second it opened a furry, brown blur streaked between my legs and into the house before barreling into Jessamine's legs, nearly knocking her over. I turned to get a better view as Jessamine's voice broke through the air.

"Nika!"

* * *

A/N: I'm very happy to get this update out sooner than I originally expected. (I really felt the need to set things right after the ending last chapter.) I had a reader ask why I didn't provide my musical inspiration footnotes last chapter so I will include them from now on; this chapter was fueled mainly by a string of rainy days, and the songs Better than Me by Hinder, and It's not Over by Daughtry. As always, I'd like to thank ShadowsandLight20 for your review; I always enjoy hearing from you! And of course, thank you for giving me permission to use your idea in future chapters :). I hope I can get the next update out as speedily as this one, but until next time enjoy your week and your Halloween's!


	31. Chapter 31

**WARNING: Smut, NSFS/NSFW, Mature Themes.**

* * *

Chapter 31: Healing

* * *

I fell to my knees as the brown blur of fur ran into my legs, toppling me over. The familiar sound of panting hitting my ears just before a bright pink tongue began exploring my skin. I shouted her name happily as I threw my arms around the writhing mass of fur in my arms. Nika's whining filled the room as she squirmed closer into me, and I couldn't help but laugh with relief as she collapsed onto the floor next to me, panting happily. I scratched the patch of fur between her ears as Corvo closed and locked the door before turning towards us, a small half-smile gracing his face. We only held eye contact for a moment before he glanced at the floor, his smile quickly replaced with a slight scowl. I watched as he picked a scrap of fabric up off the floor, examining it for a moment as his scowl grew, Nika whined under my hand and I moved my head scratches to her belly.

"What is it?" I asked Corvo as I watched him crumple the fabric in his hand before stuffing into the pocket of his trousers.

"Nothing," He replied immediately, his voice darker and harsher than usual. He seemed to notice the tone he'd taken up with me, because he elaborated a moment later, his voice much softer and more reserved. "Just some trash Nika dragged in." I wish I knew what was going on with him, this side of him was completely new to me and it was apparent that I was walking on previously un-treaded ground. I didn't know what to say so I remained quiet, the silence growing between us. Corvo looked away from me to glare at the pistol in his hand almost like it was some Coldridge felon, he let out a rough breath of air before walking off towards the bedroom. I knew that he was going through some pretty serious stuff at the moment, but I still didn't understand the forced distance, the obvious self-loathing that kept slipping through the chinks in his armor, the timidity he'd been expressing in my presence ever since I'd woken up. I sighed softly as I watched him disappear into the bedroom, he needed his space, even I could tell that much.

I focused my attentions on Nika, not only did she serve as a wonderful distraction from whatever was going on with Corvo, but I was so relieved that she was alright; back safe and sound. "Are you hungry girl? I bet you are," I spoke softly to her as I picked myself up off the floor. I went about making breakfast in a bit of a haze, part of me wondering where Nika had been, the other half wondering what was going on with Corvo's mood swings. I knew Corvo was complex, and he had always acted somewhat peculiar to a certain degree, but I just couldn't understand what was going on with him right now. I knew he had a hard time forgiving himself for what happened, and that he also believed himself to be abusive, but I couldn't agree with him on that. I didn't think he was abusive. If he was he wouldn't have stopped so suddenly the second I told him he was hurting me. Before I could slip too deeply into that train of thought a gentle hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my slight haze.

"Jessamine, are you alright?" Corvo's voice was laced with concern as I turned to look at him, momentarily abandoning my own attempt at flapjacks.

"Of course, why?" I questioned as I turned away from him and back to the batter in front of me. I paid much more attention than necessary to the simple task of mixing everything together, I just didn't want to think about the changes in Corvo in the last twenty-four hours. Changes that I didn't like. Changes that were all my fault to begin with.

"I asked you a question, you didn't even hear me," Corvo stated as he pulled his hand from my shoulder, stuffing it in the pocket of his trousers before stepping around me and leaning against the counter top.

"Sorry. I just wasn't listening, what did you ask?" I focused on placing a pan on the hot stovetop as I spoke. It wasn't that I was trying to avoid Corvo or that I was scared of him, I just didn't want to look up at him only to see self-loathing on his face. I'd already tried to help him get past his own personal problems but he had basically refused my help, and I was tired of my efforts being futile. I hated seeing him in pain and not being able to do anything to help him.

"Are we going to leave now that we have Nika back?" Corvo's voice was low and even as he spoke, and I couldn't help but look away from my work and up at him as the realization that he was actually giving me a say in what happened dawned on me. He had been so adamant about leaving yesterday that I hadn't expected him to actually take what I wanted into account, I certainly hadn't assumed that he would ask for my opinion on the matter. I should have known better though, Corvo had always been more of a gentleman than I gave him credit for, yet another thing I admired about him.

"I'd really rather not, but I'm not going to fight you on the issue either," I sighed, part of me assuming that even though he'd asked for my opinion on the matter he would still do whatever he wanted. Everyone had always done what they wanted even if it wasn't what I did, I was used to this by now.

"You're not?" His voice was surprised, matching the slightly bewildered look on his face. Apparently, he'd also learned by now that I rarely went down with a fight, and my quick and easy surrender threw him off. But what I had with Corvo wasn't worth risking over a few more days of alone time, if this was the sacrifice I had to make to keep him I'd do it.

"I'm tired of fighting Corvo," I sighed as I returned to making breakfast, pouring a generous amount of batter onto the warm pan and staring at it until small bubbles began to float to the surface as the silence between us grew. My anxiety grew with each passing moment. Normally silence between us was comfortable, calming; this time it was nerve-wracking.

"You want to stay?" Corvo's voice broke the silence as I flipped the flapjack, only making a small mess much to my own luck.

"I do believe that's exactly what I just said," I answered quietly as I waited tensely for his response. This time the silence between us lasted for a few minutes, each passing second only making my stomach churn more. By the time he broke the silence I was already flipping the third flapjack.

"I just…I just need to know that you're safe, and I'm not certain of that here." It was the tone of his voice that caught me by surprise, soft and remorseful, almost timid. I drew in a deep breath as I realized that Corvo was just as worried about further damaging the tentative peace between us. I pulled the flapjack from the heat before turning completely to stare him down, his face showing all the uncertainty that his voice had been tainted with a moment prior.

"I'm safe wherever I am as long as you're with me," I stated softly as I stepped forward, closing the distance between us before taking one of his larger hands in my own. I rubbed slow circles into the back of his hand with my thumbs as he stared down at our hands.

"I wouldn't bet my life on that statement if I were you," Corvo whispered as he continued to stare down at our interlaced hands, his voice just barely loud enough for me to hear. I couldn't help but scowl at his words; I kept trying to make him feel better, to make him realize that he was still a hero in my own mind, but he kept trying to undermine my words.

"Well, you're not me." My voice came out snappier than I intended, but he kept annoying me with his inability to forgive himself. "So are we staying or not?" I asked, my voice softening considerably as I stared deep into his brown eyes, hoping to read the emotion hiding inside of them.

"We'll do as you wish," Corvo stated as he stared back unfaltering, his voice growing strong once again. After the initial jolt of surprise ran through me I was still left somewhat awestruck, I hadn't thought Corvo would give me this, but I was incredibly grateful that he did. I could feel a smile growing on my face on its own accord as I squeezed Corvo's hand a bit tighter. I rested one of my hands on his smooth cheek and leaned onto the tips of my toes, planting a small kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Thank you," I whispered against his smooth skin as his arms circled around my back, holding me tight against him as he let out a long shaky breath. And in that moment everything felt like normal, and I relished in every second of the contentment.

* * *

TWO HOURS LATER

* * *

I snuggled deeper under the blanket covering me as the chill spreading from my hands made me feel colder than I really was. I rested my head against the curve of Corvo's shoulder as I tried to get back into my book, but I was quickly distracted when I noticed that Corvo wasn't reading his book, instead he was holding it loosely in his hands while staring at the wall with glassed over eyes. I sat up straighter as I closed my book and set it down on the couch next to me, Corvo made no indication that he noticed I was moving, still staring off into some far away unknown place. I moved cautiously at first, I didn't know what part of his life he was reliving in his mind at the moment and given the life he'd lived chances were his memory wasn't a good one. He didn't respond as I rested my hand lightly against the curve of his jaw so I took the liberty of running my thumb across the smooth plane of his cheek, still not drawing any reaction from him.

"Corvo." His name fell softly from my lips before I fully realized that I'd said it. With the silence between us now broken he turned to look at me, pulled from the haze he'd been lost in. I immediately noticed the unusual shine on his eyes, the excess wetness pooling against the lower rims of his eyelids just waiting to be set free with one little blink. Corvo continued to stare at me, his gaze unwavering, his face showing no more emotion than one would find in a stoic painting; but his eyes told the unspoken truth, he was breaking. The silence between us grew as I finally realized he wasn't going to say anything, he was waiting for me to say whatever I'd wanted in the first place, but I hadn't anything in mind to say from the start. I hated seeing him in pain, I hated that he refused to talk to me about what was going on with him; but most of all, I hated that he had been sitting there suffering for who knew how long while I hadn't the slightest clue.

"Oh, Corvo," I sighed as I leaned in closer to him before planting a small but lingering kiss on his forehead. I pressed my own forehead against his own, the tips of our noses touching as I wrapped my free arm around his shoulders pulling him closer to me. Peaceful silence enveloped us for a short moment before a broken and choked breath of air he'd been holding in escaped, and a warm fat tear fell onto my hand where it still rested against his jaw. I swallowed heavily as Corvo let out another breath; shallower, shakier. I'd never actually seen Corvo cry before; the onion a few days ago didn't count, but this, this was real. I pulled away from him slowly, just far enough to look at him; and if broken had an illustration next to it in the dictionary it would have been of him at this very moment. He refused to look at me, his eyes downcast, staring at his hands resting limply on the book in his lap as another fat tear slowly rolled down his cheek. I wished I knew what to do, but Corvo was so complicated and this was entirely new to me, and probably to him as well. I wiped the tear from his cheek gently with my unoccupied hand, the wetness spreading thinly across my skin as I worried myself over what I needed to do to make him better.

"Corvo," I whispered softly, waiting for him to look up at me before continuing. As the seconds ticked by I wondered if he was going to do anything, or if he was just going to ignore my voice; but after what felt like a long time he finally looked up, his still watery eyes finding mine almost timidly. "I love you, and I hate seeing you like this. I hate seeing you in pain. Will you please just talk to me?" I whispered as I pulled my hands from his face and wrapped them around his own hands, which were somehow colder than my own.

"There's," He stopped as his voice broke, pausing a moment before clearing his throat and speaking up once again. "There's nothing to talk about," He finished as he continued to stare at me, pain still more than evident in his eyes. I just wanted to understand, if I could just understand what was wrong with him I could help.

"Corvo, please," I begged, my voice so quiet that I didn't know if he'd hear it even though were sitting right next to each other.

"What do you want me to say, Jessamine? That I hate who I was in the past, and even though I thought I wasn't that person anymore I know now more than ever that I am? That not a night goes by that I don't hear the screams of a little girl who ran into her father's room only moments after I slit his throat, his body still twitching with the last of his life as she crumpled to the ground absolutely broken?" Corvo paused a moment to draw in another shaky breath as another tear rolled down his face, he wiped it away almost instantly before continuing. "That I've killed more people than I can count, made widows and orphans and destroyed families? Because all of that is true, but I'm the one who did those things; and it's my burden, not yours, to live with the guilt now," Corvo finished, his voice taking on a hard steely edge as he tried to pull on his tougher than steel persona once again. I swallowed as I held his hands a bit tighter, I'd always known Corvo had a bloody and ruthless past, I just didn't know that it affected him so much to this very day.

"You don't have to do everything alone anymore Corvo, it's okay to need help. If you'd just let me I'd…" I trailed off as I realized I had no idea what I could do. I didn't know how to fix this, I didn't know how to fix anything.

"You'd what? Make everything magically all better?" Corvo's voice held a mocking tone, but I knew he didn't mean it like that; he wasn't trying to hurt me, not on purpose at least. He always pushed people away, it's what he did when he felt vulnerable, and it was what he was trying to do right now.

"No, but I could help ease your pain," I stated softly as I tried to caress his jaw, but he pushed my hand away. I admired how he always tried to be strong, but he needed to learn that it was okay to be weak too, it was okay to need someone to help you through life.

"I deserve to feel this pain," He growled, his voice hard and unfeeling. Full of self-loathing that had become more and more apparent this last day. But he didn't deserve to feel this pain, and he certainly didn't deserve to deal with it all on his own, nobody did.

"No, you don't," I breathed, as I continued staring him down his eyes still locked onto my own. I took a deep breath before leaning in, fully prepared for him to push me away, or get up and walk off; but he surprised me once again, sitting there as unmoving as stone as I pressed my lips against his. I took his lack of attempting to flee as a good sign, so I pressed myself closer to him, wrapping my arms around his back and burying a hand in his hair as I kissed him again. He remained unresponsive, the same way he had this morning when I'd kissed him...like he was scared to reciprocate. I tried kissing him one last time when he finally caved, his arms wrapping around my back possessively as he laid back on the couch, pulling me down on top of him as his lips began to move against mine. His fingers dug softly into my back as his mouth began to devour mine with more passion than he'd shown ever since we got in that fight yesterday. I lost myself in the feeling of him as his hands began to explore my body and his tongue began to map out my mouth, it wasn't long before he was making me pant for breath, his growing arousal becoming more and more apparent as he grew harder under me.

"Corvo," I breathed quietly as his lips began to trail under the curve of my jaw, forcing my stomach to flutter. The second I broke the silence Corvo froze, the same way he had this morning; all movement immediately stopping before he sat up, pushing me off of him and standing up, putting some distance between us. Annoyance grew inside of me immediately from his refusal to entertain any sexual needs, he couldn't get me all worked up one moment just to pull away from me the next. "Corvo, why do you keep avoiding sex?" My voice was louder now, more authoritative, I wanted answers and I was going to get them. This was the second time this day he'd pushed me away and I was going to find out why.

"I'm not avoiding it, I'm just not in the mood Jessie," Corvo growled, clearly annoyed as he turned back around to look at me. His face unreadable as he stared me down in a way that somehow made me feel like the bad guy for wanting to make love, I wasn't going to have any of that though. Not this time.

"Stop lying Corvo." I stood up and made my way over to him until we were standing inches apart. "The truth is more than obvious," I finished as I gestured to his tented trousers, the hard evidence that he was in fact, very in the mood. The silence between us grew as we stared each other down, waiting to see which of us would surrender first, and I could guarantee that it wasn't going to be me; he was going to talk if it was the death of me, I needed to know what was going on with him. Both of us remained silent for a few moments until Corvo finally broke the silence.

"I'm scared, alright?" It came out in a tired sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, tidying it back into place. Corvo refused to meet my eyes after that, instead choosing to stare at our feet.

"You're scared?" I questioned incredulously as I crossed my arms over my chest. "You're never scared of anything," I finished with a slight scoff. Corvo had been fearless for as long as I'd known him, it seemed so unlike him to suddenly admit he was scared. He looked back up at me as I finished speaking, his eyes showing some steely determination that hadn't been there before.

"Yes, I am. I'm scared of everything these days," Corvo stated as he turned away from me and stalked over to one of the windows, staring out it before continuing. "I'm afraid that if I touch you I'm going to hurt you; because that's what I do, that's all I've ever done, is hurt people. I'm afraid of getting you undressed only to see the bruises that I put on your skin staring back at me, the evidence that I'm not a decent person blatantly mocking me. And I'm afraid of who I am more than anything," He finished before sighing heavily, shaking his head softly as he continued to stare out the frosty window.

"Why are you scared of yourself? I'm not afraid of you," I stated softly as I stepped forward and rested a gentle hand on his back.

"Well you should be," He stated harshly as he turned around swiftly. Staring down at me with something akin to anger in his expression.

"Why are you scared of yourself, Corvo?" I questioned gently as I let my hand drift back down to my side. I knew he was trying to scare me off so he wouldn't have to explain himself, but I was past being scared of him anymore, he clearly needed me and I was going to stand by his side regardless of how much he tried to push me away. Silence grew between us once more as he clearly contemplated whether or not to try to scare me off again or just answer my question, apparently the latter won out though.

"Because I finally have something good going for myself. I finally have something worth living for, not just merely existing, but actually living. I found something that actually makes me genuinely happy…You. I always find a way to screw up everything good though, and I can't…I refuse to be the person who breaks you. And I could break you, at any moment, and not realize it until it was too late," Corvo explained slowly, his voice quiet as he stared down at the floor, his long hair draping over part of his face. A part of my heart broke at his confession. He was more scared of hurting me than hurting himself, if he only understood that it hurt me when I watched him hurt himself.

"You could, but you're not going to," I offered softly as I stepped forward before wrapping my arms around his larger frame, holding him tightly against me as he tensed up. After a few short moments he relaxed though, wrapping his arms around my waist in return.

"I hope you're right," He breathed quietly before burying his head in the crook of my neck and letting out a long shaky breath.

* * *

EIGHT HOURS LATER

* * *

I squirmed deeper into Corvo's side as he extinguished the last candle, his skin warm under my cold hands. Today had been trying for the both of us, but things were getting better, he was slowly starting to come around. It was good to know that we were healing after everything that had happened. He grumbled as he buried himself deeper under the covers and looped his arm behind my back, holding me tight against him. He was finally starting to warm up again, and that gave me a sense of hope I hadn't had recently. It was finally looking like things were getting better.

Despite the fact that I had been constantly trying to help Corvo forget about the incident that had happened between us the previous day it was still flitting through my mind. I had questions about it that I wanted the answers to, but I also didn't want to make Corvo relapse into the emotional state he'd been in before. There were still so many things I didn't know about him, or parts of him that I'd seen only glimpses of, and I wanted to know more…needed to know more if this was going to continue between us, and I definitely wanted it to be continued, preferably indefinitely. I stared at him from my slightly awkward vantage point as I considered whether or not now would be an appropriate time to talk about the things on my mind. If anything I felt now more than ever that we needed to have a talk about his more…Rough side, especially if it had anything to do with what happened yesterday.

"Corvo," I began softly and then realized that maybe now wasn't the right time for this. I should wait a little while longer. But it was already too late, I'd already gotten his attention, and I could tell by the way he was staring back at me that he wasn't going to let never mind pass as a finishing statement. I took a long deep breath before swallowing nervously and continuing, "Yesterday, when we were...Well, you know. Was that what the rough sex that you enjoy is like sometimes?". My voice had become softer the more I talked until it tapered off into a whisper towards the end. At first, he appeared slightly ashamed, but I was relieved when that look turned into a slightly remorseful yet gentle look. It didn't seem as though he'd taken offense to my question, or that it had sent him relapsing into self-hatred. If anything he just seemed disappointed about what had happened between us.

"No, not at all," Corvo began before taking a deep breath as he rolled onto his side so he could get a better look at me. I couldn't help the surge of relief that flowed through me at his answer, if our hate sex yesterday was exactly what he wanted out of our partnership then I knew I'd never be able to satisfy him, I knew that I would never be able to keep something like that up. "Yesterday was...Unhealthy, and shameful, and you're already well aware of how much I regret feeding into what happened between us then," He continued, his voice gentle as he reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. A secondary, smaller wave of relief flowed through me, I did know very well how much he hated himself for that incident, but I hadn't automatically assumed that just because he felt bad about something meant he wouldn't enjoy it under different circumstances; but now I had my answer, and thankfully it was the one I had been hoping for. "What makes you ask that?" Corvo questioned softly as he rested a hand on my arm, his eyes boring into mine in the dim light.

"Well, it's just, the first and only time you ever showed me that side of yourself was all those months ago back on the ship. And I couldn't help but wonder if what happened had something to do with, I don't know, pent up desires that you haven't really let out since back then," I began slowly, but began talking a bit faster as I just forced myself to get the words out. The timidity in my voice was clear, and it made Corvo scowl slightly as he trailed his thumb back and forth across my arm.

"Yesterday had absolutely nothing to do with any sort of pent up desires, I've already explained what yesterday was about. That one time that we almost had rough sex my intent was in no way to hurt you, yesterday was...Well, you already know. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure yesterday never repeats itself," Corvo stated slowly and calmly, if he was feeling worked up over my questions he certainly wasn't showing it. He pulled his hand from my arm and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he waited for me to say or do something.

"So, when do you think you're going to want to have rough sex?" I questioned as I stared up at the ceiling. That question had been nagging my mind for a while now, and it felt good to just get it out.

"Jessamine, I'm not even ready to have normal sex with you yet after…" Corvo trailed off, silence filling the room for a moment before he sighed heavily. "I don't know if I'll ever want to have rough sex with you now," Corvo admitted after a moment. Surprise rushed through me at his admission, I had never really expected Corvo to possibly change his tastes in the bedroom just because of what had happened, I'd just assumed we would wait a while until we were both over it before we tried anything like that.

"Really?" I asked, my surprise evident in my voice. "Alright then," I stated, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"You didn't like it…Did you?" Corvo questioned as he turned his head to get a good look at me. I made a noncommittal humming sound as I shrugged my shoulders and continued to stare up at the ceiling, purposely ignoring Corvo's gaze. Corvo shifted beside me to lay on his side once again, staring directly at me, practically demanding an answer even though he hadn't spoken up again yet.

"I mean, it was sort of sexy, but you're always sexy so…" I trailed off in hopes of sounding nonchalant and noncommittal. At first, I had thought that I was just neutral towards that side of Corvo, but after these days with Corvo alone, knowing the things he could do to me…I would have been lying if I told myself that I wasn't curious about how it would feel with him trying something a little less domestic. "Would you ever let me, you know, rough you up a bit?" I questioned tentatively, slightly concerned Corvo would laugh at my question, or poke fun at it every time we were alone for the next five years.

"You want to dominate me?" Surprise was evident in his voice. I forced myself not to shy away from his question, even though embarrassment was burning hot in my cheeks. I swallowed before speaking up once again.

"I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to giving it a try if you'd let me," I stated softly, once again trying to come off as uncaring and unconcerned about the topic as I'd managed before, but this time failing horribly. I couldn't help but sneak a glance away from the ceiling and over at Corvo, I was worried that I'd see some sort of concerned judgment in his face but instead, there was only a sort of humored contemplation gracing his features.

"I mean…If you wanted to I'd let you…" Corvo began, faltering slightly as he spoke, and I couldn't help but feel relieved that I wasn't the only one slightly flustered with the topic at hand. "But you're not exactly ready for something like that," Corvo finished, quickly sounding a lot less unsure and much bolder. His last statement made me quickly forget the small surge of reassurance that his previous words had given me, as I quickly became defensive over what Corvo considered good enough merits for someone to have before he'd let them take him in that way.

"How do you know I'm not ready?" I questioned boldly as I rolled over so I could stare at him through slightly narrowed eyes. I couldn't help but take slight offense at his words, I knew plenty about sex to know what to do, I was ready. Corvo answered my glare with a slightly quirked eyebrow and an amused half smile before answering my question.

"I know because I haven't taught you anything about that and I really doubt you know it all on your own going off nothing but instinct," He chuckled softly at the end as he reached a hand out to rest it on top of mine. Even though he was clearly trying to be gentle about the topic on hand I couldn't help but still feel the need to prove that I knew more than enough than I needed to dominate him perfectly fine.

"I know how it works! I tie you up or pin you down or whatever, then I do whatever I want to rough you up a little, then I have sex with you," I explained quickly in hopes he'd see that I did in fact understand, but my words had the opposite of effect of what I had been hoping for as the room erupted with the deep sound of his laughter. I blushed as he laughed at my answer, I couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that he found my serious answer so humorous.

"That's not at all how it works," Corvo finally explained as his laughter died away, my embarrassment still flushing through me. I forced my embarrassment away though, I wasn't going to let him make me feel silly for my lack of practical knowledge.

"Then teach me!" I exclaimed as I playfully slapped his chest. Besides how else was I ever going to learn something like that if he wasn't willing to explain how things needed to be done to reach his level of standard.

"Goodnight Jessamine," Corvo said softly before he rolled over onto his back, resting his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Shock washed over me as I realized that Corvo was purposely trying to skirt the situation at hand, he was probably hoping that if he pushed it off for long enough that I'd eventually forget about it. Well, I wasn't going to forget about it, and I'd pester him every day until he finally told me what I wanted.

"You're a butt," I grumbled only partially grudgingly as I turned my back towards him and pulled more of the blanket off of his body. A few more deep chuckles filled the room before silence engulfed us.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY

* * *

There was no sunlight streaming through the window to blind me as I blinked my way out of sleep. I tried to glance through the window at the head of the bed but Corvo was laying on my hair, inadvertently making it impossible for me to move more than a few inches in any direction. I growled under my breath as I tried to lift Corvo by his shoulder, just enough so I could wiggle out from under him. But my efforts were proving to be futile until he grumbled incoherently and rolled over, releasing my hair from under his back. I took my opportunity at freedom to sit up, pulling my hair over my shoulder to prevent it from being laid on once again. I glanced out the window to see that it was snowing gently, flakes falling from the sky at a leisurely pace before disappearing into the endless sea of white blanketing the ground. I sighed softly before falling back onto the bed, letting the warm blankets engulf me as I curled against Corvo's back. He grumbled as my hands traced the panes of his stomach, rolling onto his back and nearly crushing me under him in the process, as much as I loved sleeping in the same bed as Corvo I hated waking up in the middle of the night to find him using me as more of a mattress than the bed itself. It was nearly impossible to wiggle out from under him when he did that, but it was a tolerable evil.

I stared over at Corvo as he continued sleeping, his hair messily strung around his face, the blankets only half covering him. I smiled softly before pulling myself on top of him, he was warm under me as I began to push messy strands of his hair out of his face, making him wrinkle his nose in his sleep. I couldn't help but chuckle at the faces he made as I ran my fingers through his hair, my voice breaking the silence woke him up a bit. He blinked a few times before his eyes focused on me and he gave a sleepy half-smile, he wrapped his arms around my waist before grumbling and rolling over suddenly. I screeched as he pulled me under him until he was laying on me, his face buried in the crook of my neck as his hair tickled my face. I struggled to free myself from the cage of his arms, only causing him to pull me tighter against him until struggling was futile.

"Mine," Corvo grumbled sleepily before planting a string of sloppy kisses up the length of my neck. I giggled as I tried to push him off of me to no avail.

"Let me go," I whined as I gave up trying to escape once again, laying limply in his arms as I waited for him to let go of his hold on me.

"Never," He whispered before his lips found mine, the kiss surprised me and I made a small noise before kissing him back happily, all thoughts of escaping his hold immediately gone. He pulled away faster than I would have liked, bracing himself on his elbows on each side of my head as he leaned up a bit, giving me room to push his hair out of my face. He looked better today, happier, less focused on his past. "I suppose we should probably get up," He mused as he trailed a finger down my cheek.

"I'd rather do something else at the moment," I breathed as I stared up at him, his eyes holding me captive as he leaned in closer to me.

"Hmm?" Corvo hummed questioningly as he brushed a kiss across my forehead. It was clear that he knew what I meant though as his lips found the particularly sensitive spot right under my ear and began to kiss his way down my neck, pulling my high collared sweater further down my neck when he reached the hem. He stopped a few second later though, kissing my cheek before pulling away. "You're still bruised," Corvo stated quietly as his thumb brushed over a few of the marks littered haphazardly along the side of my neck.

"So?" I questioned softly as I stared up at him, his dark eyes cautious and slightly worried as he let go of the collar of my sweater and it hiked its way back up my neck.

"I don't want to hurt you," Corvo breathed as he ran his now free hand through my hair slowly.

"Then just be gentle," I whispered as I traced his collarbones with my fingers, our eyes still holding contact. I wasn't expecting him to actually have sex with me, his words from last night were still ringing in my ears 'I'm not even ready to have normal sex with you yet…' but that wasn't going to stop me from trying.

"Jessamine," Corvo sighed softly as he pushed himself off of me, "You're still bruised, and with everything that just happened…I don't want to push things faster than they should go right now," He finished as he sat up, staring at me with a soft forlorn expression. But I wanted him, and if he wanted me too then we wouldn't be pushing anything, right? Was it really so bad for me to want the simple reassurance that making love would give me? I just wanted to feel like everything was normal, and normally at this time of day I wouldn't be able to keep Corvo off of me if I wanted to.

"You're still scared that you're going to hurt me," I said softly as I sat up, staring him down. That had to be the reason he was pushing himself away, it was the reason he gave yesterday when he did the same exact thing.

"No, I'm not…" He trailed off as I gave him my best 'I know you're lying' look. "Alright, fine. Yes, I'm scared of hurting you again," Corvo admitted before staring at the blankets he was sitting on as though if he looked at them for long enough I'd disappear.

"There's only one way to get over your fears," I stated plainly and he sighed before glancing up at me once again.

"Jessamine, I really—"

"Why are you so afraid? I was the one who got hurt, I'm the one who should be feeling scared. But instead—" He cut me off just as I had cut him off seconds ago, stopping me cold.

"I'm scared because I don't want to lose you. I've already fucked up too many times, I don't want to risk fucking up again," Corvo growled, his voice dark but not angry. I took a second to think his words over before reaching out and resting my palm against his cheek.

"You're not going to lose me," I began softly before leaning in and planting a small kiss on his lips before pulling away. "I love you, Corvo," I continued before pressing another kiss to his lips and pulling away once more. "And I know firsthand that you're more than capable of being gentle," My voice became quieter as I said the words while tracing the curve of his jaw with my lips. Pressing another small kiss against the juncture of his jaw and ear. "Please," I had just finished whispering that last word when his lips found mine, one arm wrapping around my waist and the other cradling the side of my neck as he laid back against the bed, pulling me on top of him.

I couldn't help but smile as he pulled away to draw in a shaky breath, I had wanted this for a while now, and I was finally going to get it. I kissed the stubble already growing on his cheek as the hand he had on my back drifted further down until he was tracing the curves of my bare legs. Our lips met again, this time his seemed more certain, not as shaky and worried as before. I tangled my hands in his hair as his tongue wetted my lower lip, I opened my mouth almost instinctually allowing his tongue to meet mine as I tugged on his hair probably rougher than I meant to. The last time we'd kissed like this it had been fast and rough and fiery, this time it was nearly the exact opposite, slow and gentle and patient. I pulled my hands away from his hair and sat up, grabbing the lower hem of my sweater. I began to pull it off when Corvo placed his hands over mine, stopping me from lifting my sweater any further.

"Please leave it on," He pleaded softly as his eyes found mine, a slight sheen of uncertainty covering them. "Please," He said once again before pulling his hands from mine and resting them on the bed. I pulled my hands away from the hem a few moments later before nodding my silent agreement.

"Alright," I breathed as I bent over, our lips meeting once again. This time I explored his bare chest with my hands, running them slowly down his torso and carefully tracing the lines where his muscles cut away from each other.

"Thank you," He whispered as we pulled away from each other for air. I nodded once again as he pulled my hair over my shoulder before tucking a finger under my chin and lifting my head up a bit more. He leaned up a bit a moment later, his lips finding my neck before kissing a slow and delicate trail down my neck to the hem of my sweater. His fingers then following the path of his kisses before pulling down the neckline of my sweater once again and continuing the path he had originally taken. He stopped when he made it to my shoulder, pulling away for a second before small and haphazardly placed kisses began to dot my neck. I giggled at first as I wondered what he was doing, but a few moments later I realized he was kissing the small bruises that littered my neck. A few more kisses followed before he let go of the neckline of my sweater and laid completely back against the bed once again.

"I love you," I whispered as I pushed some of his messy hair out of his face, forcing myself not to show exactly how much the small gesture he'd given only moments prior had affected me.

"I love you too," He stated quietly as he traced the curve of my cheekbone with his thumb. I could feel a smile spreading across my face even though I wasn't thinking about it, and even against my best attempts to keep it in I could feel a small tear break free and begin to roll down my cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Corvo questioned gently as he wiped away the tear with his thumb, his voice and face showing a sudden wave of uncertainty.

"I just love you so much," I stated softly as Corvo pulled his hand away from my face.

"Jessamine —"

"Shut up and kiss me," I ordered as firmly as I could manage before pressing my lips against his. He didn't fight it at all, immediately giving in as one of his hands buried under my hair, his fingertips brushing against my scalp as his other hand gently squeezed my upper thigh. I lost track of time as our lips and tongues met again and again, what pulled me back out of my haze of lustful kisses was the feeling of Corvo's very hard cock pressing against my inner thigh as he strained against his trousers. I pulled away from his kisses, moving my hands down to the buttons on his trousers before beginning to work them open. He remained almost statue still as I worked all of the buttons open, at first I thought it was because of some sort of lingering nervousness or fear on his part; but the lust shining clearly in his eyes made me quickly realize that it was probably more likely that he didn't want to seem like he was forcing or pressuring me into anything.

As I started to wiggle his trousers off his hips he arched his back for me, making it exponentially easier to pull them off. Once I got them far enough down he wiggled them the rest of the way off on his own. His boxers followed suit shortly after, leaving his whole body bare. I took his length in my hand, stroking a few times and causing him to moan softly. Instead of fisting the sheets like he usually did his hands found my upper arms and wrapped around them softly as he drew in a long shuddering breath. A small smile grew on my face as I felt that familiar proudness inside of me knowing that I was the one who did this to him. Corvo falling apart under me was entirely my fault, and it was something I loved seeing. I only teased him a few seconds longer before aligning my wet folds to his tip, causing him to buck slightly and moan my name.

I slid down on him slowly, taking the time to adjust to his size as I took him. When he was finally fully seated inside of me I took another moment before lifting myself up and sliding back down slowly, this time Corvo wasn't the only one to let out a small moan. He let me continue for maybe a minute before one of his hands wrapped around the back of my head, pulling me down for a kiss as his other hand moved to cup my butt as I slowly rode him. Our lips and tongues tangled together as I continued to ride him, we only pulled away for short pants of breath before our lips found each other once again. I had definitely missed this feeling, the fullness, the closeness, the tender passion, the pleasure radiating from my core throughout the rest of my body. I lost track of time once again as our bodies tangled together, losing track of where one person started and the other ended, all that mattered was his lips on mine and the complete feeling of fullness he was giving me, the pleasure building in my core slowly. But once again I was pulled from my trance like state, this time it was from the annoying burn of my muscles every time I pulled away only to take him inside me once again. The feeling had finally built enough to make it an annoying distraction from the pleasure that would otherwise be flowing through me at the moment.

I pulled away for a long moment, panting for breath as I stared down at Corvo. My mind slowly cleared enough for me to come up with a solution, I wrapped my hands around Corvo's upper arms before rolling over onto my back, Corvo following me so as not to slip out. He chuckled softly as he found his new spot on top of me, I was certain he knew the reason for the change of position, but he didn't seem to mind in the least as his lips found mine once more. He moved slowly at first, one hand tangling in my hair as the other rested against the side of my neck, forcing the neckline of my sweater down as his thumb ever so lightly ran up and down my larynx.

Now that the annoying distraction of my burning muscles was no longer a problem every slow and deliberate thrust made the feeling of pleasure in my core grow that much more. It didn't feel like that long before I was on the edge of my own orgasm, I certainly hoped it had taken longer than it seemed, I didn't want Corvo to feel unsatisfied. He seemed to sense that I was close though, because he picked up speed, snapping his hips into mine with slightly more force than before. It only took a few more thrusts before the overwhelming bliss took me. I was completely lost in the haze for a short while before I finally became completely aware of my surroundings once again. Corvo was still on top of me and inside me, and judging by how hard he still was hadn't gotten to come. Oddly enough though he wasn't moving, instead he was just staring down at me through hooded eyes and running his thumb slowly across my lower lip.

"What'cha doing?" I questioned, my voice slightly slurring just enough for it to be noticeable.

"Waiting until my efforts wouldn't be going to waste," Corvo replied as though it was obvious. But his words made almost no sense to my sex fogged brain, that is until he started to move once again. His first thrust was agonizingly slow, and I quickly learned that post-orgasm I was incredibly sensitive and even the smallest, slowest movements felt better than when Corvo pounded into me with reckless abandon pre-orgasm. His name fell from my lips shamelessly as I clung to his upper arms like they were the only thing keeping me anchored to the world. He chuckled softly at my responses to his thrusts before his lips found the curve of my ear. "Someone's enjoying herself if I'm not mistaken," Corvo said quietly, his voice raspy in my ear. I don't think I could have formed a sentence to reply if I tried my hardest, so my response was another drawn out moan of his name.

Despite being incredibly sensitive it seemed to be taking longer to feel even the beginning tell-tell signs of another orgasm, which seemed to suit Corvo just fine. He was lasting forever and I had a feeling that it was because we were going so slow, that and he had paused mid-sex to wait for me to come back to reality after my orgasm. Corvo was slowly picking up speed now, though that did nothing to hinder his lips from claiming mine in a nearly constant kiss. The familiar overwhelming sensation of pressure building inside of me began to build faster, and thank the void that Corvo's breathing had slowly morphed into small short pants that he was managing to get between long drawn out kisses, that was the only thing that tipped me off that he was also getting close. I started to feel incredibly tingly about the same time that Corvo started becoming unable to hold back his own moans, and after just a few more thrusts I found myself falling over the edge once again as a second orgasm claimed me. The foggy bliss lasted longer this time and somehow managed to be stronger than it was last time. When I finally came all the way back from the second wave of hazy bliss that had claimed me for the day Corvo had apparently also already finished, rolled over, and pulled me on top of him. His skin incredibly warm and sticky against mine as he pressed a small kiss to my forehead before sighing deeply.

I laid on top of him, completely spent. I'm fairly certain I fell asleep at one point, but eventually the annoyed grumbles of my stomach forced me to action. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt incredibly tired after lovemaking because Corvo seemed to be asleep until I got up and accidentally roused him in the process. I chuckled softly as his sleepy and incoherent ramblings as I made my way out of the bedroom. I made my way into the bathroom and tidied up before walking out to the kitchen. Nika greeted me happily as I began to search for food, she was undoubtedly hungry as well. I frowned softly as my efforts at finding food for us were proving meaningless.

"I think we need to go grab some more food," I mused softly to myself as I continued to dig around in the cabinets to no avail. The feeling of Corvo's hand on my shoulder dragging me away from my search, I hadn't even heard him get up, yet here he was.

"I think you're right, let's go put on some proper clothes,"

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me start by saying, I apologize for my two-month long hiatus. I know that nobody really cares about excuses, but I think we can all agree that the holiday months are chaos. Between finals, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and election day I think it's safe to say that we could all use a few week long vacation. Am I right?! I am back and here to stay as long as life doesn't become much too busy. Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm excited (and quite honestly scared shitless) to see what 2017 has to offer us all! Also, DISHONORED 2! OMFG my heart! Please kill me now all the god damn feels! Really though, it is quite an awesome game and I'm looking forward to doing a few more play throughs. If any of you lovelies would like to have a chat about the game feel free to hit me up! (Really though, hit me up, my social life is non-existent lol). I'd also like to take a second to thank GhostAssassin1993 and ShadowsandLight20 for messaging me and checking in to make sure everything was going well during this hiatus, your support means so much guys, like really. I'd also like to thank ShadowsandLight20, GhostAssassin1993, and CreedMaster1715 for their reviews on the last chapter, I live for feedback! To answer some of your guys questions, I am working on a Halloween themed one-shot that will be dedicated to ShadowsandLight20 since the idea was originally theirs (I know it's several months late but better late than never. Also, let me justify the long wait time with the length of the one-shot, it's only half done and already 15k words) so keep a look out for that in the future. And CreedMaster, I was originally planning on ending the story with Jessamine dying, but have then since gotten to read a few of Harvey's tweets (particularly the tweet that said Corvo and Jessamine would have gotten married if she hadn't been assassinated) that inspired my muse to come up with a sequel, so there will eventually be a sequel and no this story won't have a cannon ending. Musical inspiration for this chapter came from Niykee Heaton with her song Sober, and Kate Voegele with her cover of Hallelujah (literally my favorite version of Hallelujah ever, seriously, go give it a listen). I'm looking forward to releasing a lot of new content for you all this new year and I hope everything gets better for everyone!


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